About Reid
Reid DeChant earned his law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, receiving a J.D. in 2016 after concentrating on advocacy and criminal litigation. He completed his undergraduate studies at Arizona State University, where he earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice in 2012. Those academic choices set a clear path toward courtroom work and criminal defense practice.
Early in his legal training he sought hands-on experience. While in law school he interned with the DUI Defense Lawyers Association in 2015 and spent time at The Orr Law Office that same year. In 2016 he interned at the Colorado State Public Defenders Office, and the next year he joined that office in a more senior capacity. By 2017 he was working as a Senior Deputy Public Defender in Colorado, handling a range of criminal matters for clients facing state charges.
After years in the public defender system he moved into private practice. In 2022 he became an associate trial lawyer at The Orr Law Office. He left that position the following year to form his own practice. In 2023 he opened DeChant Law and took on the role of owner and lead trial lawyer. The transition from public defender to private practitioner expanded the types of cases he handles while keeping trial work at the center of his daily practice.
Courtroom work and DUI-related defense figure prominently in his caseload. He holds memberships in the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar and the National College of DUI Defense. He is also a member of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and DUIDLA. In 2022 he completed a program at the Trial Lawyers College and lists that alumni connection among his professional affiliations. These memberships reflect the areas he spends most of his time on: contested hearings, jury trials, and post-conviction issues tied to impaired-driving allegations and other criminal charges.
Colleagues describe his approach as straightforward and procedural. He emphasizes preparation, factual investigation, and cross-examination in court. He has handled cases from initial arraignment through trial and, where needed, sentencing hearings. His experience in the public defender’s office gave him regular exposure to indigent defense and high-volume dockets, which shaped how he manages time and client expectations in private practice.
He is licensed to practice in Colorado and operates DeChant Law out of that jurisdiction. He currently focuses his practice on criminal defense, including DUI and DUID matters.
