About David N.
David N. Hernandez earned his law degree from the University of New Mexico, receiving a J.D. in 1979. He began his legal career soon after graduation. His first post was as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of New Mexico in 1979, a role that exposed him to appellate procedure and the inner workings of state judicial decision-making.
After his clerkship he entered private practice as an associate at Knight, Custer & Duncan in 1980. The early years in firm practice gave him grounding in client representation and case management. He moved into firm ownership and leadership not long after, launching Hernandexz & Associates, PA in 1982. That firm became one of several he would lead over the next decade.
In 1988 he founded David Hernandez & Associates, PA. Two years later he took on a managing member role at Hernandez & Holt, PA. Those positions reflect a steady progression from clerk to associate to firm principal. Colleagues from that era recall a practitioner who preferred to handle matters directly and who remained engaged in the day-to-day work of cases.
Hernandez is admitted to practice in the federal courts of the Tenth Circuit and is a member of the State Bar of New Mexico. His courtroom experience spans state and federal venues. He has worked on appeals in state supreme courts and has filed matters in federal district courts that fall under the Tenth Circuit’s jurisdiction. He combines trial-level work with appellate filings when cases require that continuity.
Across his career he has alternated between solo practice and partnerships. The firms he has owned or led allowed him to tailor the structure of representation to the needs of particular clients. That practical orientation shows in the way he organizes cases and prepares filings. He has maintained a presence in New Mexico’s legal community for decades.
In recent years he has continued to practice law in New Mexico, drawing on long experience in both state and federal courts. He currently represents clients in matters brought in state courts and in the federal courts of the Tenth Circuit.
