About David R.
David R. Spencer took a direct path into practice after law school. He earned his J.D. from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in 2014. The classroom years gave way quickly to public service and then private practice.
He began his legal career in North Dakota at the state’s Commission on Indigent Defense. Hired as a managing lawyer in 2014, he oversaw aspects of public defense operations and worked on cases assigned to appointed counsel. The role put him inside the administrative side of indigent defense and also kept him connected to courtroom work.
A year later he opened his own firm, founding The Spencer Law Office in 2015. That move shifted him from a managerial post in a public agency to the responsibilities of running a small practice. He has handled client intake, case strategy, and the business tasks that come with operating an office. The combination of public agency experience and private practice gives him a sense of how different parts of the justice system function.
Spencer’s time at the Commission on Indigent Defense is a central thread in his career. It informed his understanding of appointed counsel systems, case assignment procedures, and resource constraints that affect many defendants. He carried that knowledge into private practice, where it shapes how he assesses case priorities and communicates options to clients.
Colleagues and former supervisors describe him as steady in the courtroom and practical at the negotiating table. He prefers clear explanations over legal jargon. He prepares clients for the likely course of their cases and outlines trade-offs when decisions have to be made quickly. That pragmatic approach reflects years of handling matters where resources and timing matter.
Outside the office he maintains ties to the North Dakota legal community. He holds active membership in professional circles and attends events related to public defense and criminal law. Those connections keep him engaged with changes in local practice standards and procedural rules.
Today he operates The Spencer Law Office in North Dakota. He splits time between casework and managing the practice. He currently practices at The Spencer Law Office, concentrating on indigent defense and criminal defense matters.
