Meet Criminal Defense Attorney Jason Clay

Michael E. Parker, the CEO and Founder of Stellar Enterprise was honored for his work with a Business of the Year Award from the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce. At this event we were fortunate enough to come in contact with a man who makes his living defending those accused of crimes they often did not commit.

We have asked him to tell us more about his life and hope that you will recommend him if anyone you know needs a defense lawyer. Jason has the heart and wit when your life is on the line.


Here is what he shares:

Being a criminal defense attorney has been a very rewarding experience for me because it has enabled me to fight for individuals who too often are forced to face the injustices of a racist and oftentimes corrupt criminal justice system without adequate legal representation. Whether it’s the result of an overzealous prosecutor who decides to hide exonerating evidence from the defense, or a corrupt police officer who has planted incriminating evidence, everyday innocent people find themselves convicted of crimes they didn’t commit. I’m sure we have all heard stories of people who have been locked up in prison for 10 or 20 years, only to find out later through DNA testing or some other newly discovered evidence that they were actually innocent of any wrongdoing.

It is the desire to combat this type of injustice which motivates me to work as a criminal defense attorney. Too often I have seen people get used up by the system simply because they weren’t aware of their basic Constitutional rights. Part of my job is to prevent the government from infringing on these rights. When I agree to take on a case I know that a person’s freedom is at stake, often times their future is at stake, and in some instances their very lives are at stake. In essence they are placing their lives in my hands. At times, this responsibility can seem overwhelming, but it’s all worth it if, at the end of the day, I know that I’ve been able to help someone.

I’ve been fortunate in a sense that I’ve been able to use my skills to help quite a few people over the course of my career. Just a few months ago I represented an 18 year old kid who had been identified by the victim of a robbery as being the perpetrator of the crime. Because of the charges, my client was facing up to six years in prison. Fortunately through cell phone records and other witnesses I was able to show that he could not have been present at the time of the robbery because he was at a different location. The district attorney eventually dismissed all charges and the court made a finding that my client was factually innocent. The feeling that I get in knowing that I helped this kid, who had no prior criminal history, from having his life ruined by a serious felony conviction is what makes my job so rewarding.

In order to become an attorney, one typically obtains a bachelor’s degree from a university and then a JD from a law school. While in law school most students take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam which, as the name suggests, is a multiple choice exam designed to test an applicant’s knowledge of the rules of professional responsibility. A person must pass this exam before he or she can become eligible to be admitted to the bar. The state bar also conducts moral character background check of each applicant before a person can become eligible to be admitted to practice law in the state. The final step is the bar exam itself. This is a three day exam held in July and February of each year. Once a person has passed the bar and satisfied the other requirements, it is simply a matter of being sworn in as a member of the bar, and then the person is eligible to begin practicing as an attorney.

My initial job after becoming an attorney was with the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office. In 2006, after 11 years with the Public Defender’s Office, I decided to venture out on my own and open my own law practice. To cover the initial start up expenses, I loaned myself a sufficient amount of money from my savings account to cover the anticipated costs. I then settled upon a location in Berkeley for my office, and once this was done everything else quickly fell into place. I set up a telephone and fax line at the office, I purchased furniture and equipment, I had business cards printed and created stationary on my computer, and obtained a business license from the city. Once all of these steps were completed, I was ready to open my doors to prospective clients.

My office recently celebrated its one year anniversary. My office currently handles all adult and juvenile criminal matters including all misdemeanors such as theft and driving under the influence, as well as serious felonies such as murder, robbery, sexual assault and other violent felonies. My office also handles contempt allegations in family court proceedings.

I can be contacted at my office at 1010 Grayson St., Suite Two, Berkeley, CA or by telephone at 510-704-1773.