About David J.
David J. Grimaldi trained as a historian before turning to the law. He earned a B.A. in history from Clark University in 2001 and spent a year at the London School of Economics on a study abroad program in 1999. He went on to Boston College Law School, beginning in 2004 and taking his J.D. in 2007. Several years into his practice he returned to formal trial training, attending the National Criminal Defense College Trial Practice Institute in 2012.
His first legal work experience after college was as a case assistant at Goodwin Procter LLP in 2001. After law school he joined the Committee for Public Counsel Services as a trial lawyer in 2007. That role placed him in courtrooms across Massachusetts and built a base of trial work in criminal matters. In 2014 he opened his own firm, David J. Grimaldi, P.C., where he continues to represent clients in both state and federal matters.
Grimaldi is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, before the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and in the First Circuit. He is a member of several bar and defense organizations. Those memberships include the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Boston Bar Association and the Massachusetts Bar Association. Since 2015 he has been on the Criminal Justice Act Panel in federal court. He also serves on the board of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and is active in Suffolk Lawyers for Justice.
His courtroom credentials include a certification from the Committee for Public Counsel Services to represent defendants accused of murder. That certification reflects experience handling serious felony cases and standing in higher-stakes plea and trial settings. Colleagues describe him as a lawyer who has built his practice around courtroom work and case preparation rather than office-based appeals or corporate litigation.
Cases at the federal level and in state criminal courts make up the bulk of his docket. He has defended clients through plea negotiations, trials and sentencing hearings. He has worked on complex evidentiary questions and has experience guiding clients through the policies that govern pretrial detention and federal sentencing.
Grimaldi balances trial work with bar association service and training. He remains active in continuing legal education and local defense organizations. He currently concentrates his practice on criminal defense in state and federal courts.
