About Steve
Steve Rice began his path in law after studying political science at Pennsylvania State University, University Park. He earned his law degree from Dickinson School of Law, moving from campus classrooms into courtrooms. Those academic foundations set the stage for a career spent largely in criminal defense.
Rice entered public service early. In 2000 he joined the Adams County Public Defender’s Office as an assistant public defender. The job placed him in front of juries and judges regularly. Three years later he opened his own practice. In 2003 he founded Steve Rice Law and has run the firm as owner and manager since then.
Trial work is a central part of Rice’s practice. He is Board Certified as a Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a credential that speaks to courtroom experience and trial preparation. He holds admission in Pennsylvania and appears in federal courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Over the years Rice has handled matters at both the trial and appellate levels. He represents clients in state and federal criminal matters and has litigated evidence disputes, motions, and jury trials. His work draws on courtroom routines learned as a public defender and refined in private practice. He keeps an active litigation schedule and prepares cases for contested hearings when necessary.
Rice participates in professional organizations that keep him connected to peers and developments in criminal law. He holds memberships in the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He is also a member of several local bar groups, including Adams, Franklin, and York County bar associations, and belongs to the Federal Bar Association’s Middle District of Pennsylvania chapter.
As the principal of Steve Rice Law he manages the firm’s operations while continuing to try cases. He combines years of courtroom experience with board-certified trial credentials. He currently focuses his practice on criminal defense.
