David W. Read, Esq.
Accomplished Utah DUI & Criminal Defense Attorney
Proven Results. Elite Training. Relentless Defense.
David Read defends individuals charged with DUI and criminal offenses throughout Utah. David has built a reputation for strategic, aggressive, and client-centered defense. Before founding DUI Sharks, David sharpened his litigation skills at the respected regional law firm Strong & Hanni and the national firm Cordell & Cordell. He also taught criminal law college courses.
David brings a rare combination of real-world trial experience and academic expertise to every case. He served as a professor of law and ethics for nearly two decades. His background gives him a unique ability to dismantle complex scientific and legal evidence in DUI cases—making him a powerful advocate in negotiations, administrative hearings, and jury trials.
Recognized by Utah Business Magazine’s “Utah Legal Elite” and selected as a Mountain States Super Lawyers “Rising Star”, David has earned a reputation for excellence. His work is guided by the belief that clients deserve clear advice, tactical precision, and relentless advocacy.
David has defended DUI cases involving complex breathalyzer challenges, blood toxicology, and drug impairment allegations, successfully protecting his clients’ rights and futures. He works closely with forensic toxicologists, accident reconstructionists, field sobriety test experts, and other leading professionals to deliver powerful, science-driven defenses.
Beyond his trial work, David has served as the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Utah Journal of Family Law and the Managing Editor of the Journal of Legal Studies Education, one of the nation’s most respected academic legal publications. His commitment to legal scholarship sharpens his ability to build persuasive, technically precise defenses inside and outside the courtroom.
When you hire DUI Sharks, you are backed by an attorney who combines elite credentials, relentless courtroom experience, and a proven record of defending the accused against DUI charges across Utah.
Certifications & Specialized DUI Training
- Board Certified in DUI Defense by the National College of DUI Defense (NCDD) — a distinction held by fewer than 100 attorneys nationwide.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) Instructor Course — qualified to teach and challenge field sobriety tests.
- NHTSA Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) Student Course — trained according to the same standards as law enforcement officers.
- Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Course — focused on defending drug-related DUI cases.
- Intoxilyzer Operator and Technician Training — specialized in breath test machine calibration, operation, and defense.
- Forensic Toxicology Training — advanced education on blood alcohol and drug testing science and techniques.
Memberships & Associations
- National College of DUI Defense (NCDD)
- DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA)
- Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (UACDL)
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- Utah State Bar
- Technology-enhanced employees and the Americans with disabilities act
KS Lee, D Read
J. High Tech. L. 18, i (Suffolk University) - Erosion of Access to Consumer Bankruptcy’s “Fresh Start” Policy in the United States: Statutory Reforms Needed to Enhance Access to Justice and Promote Social Justice
RJ Landry, D Read
William & Mary Policy Review 7 (1), 51-94 (William & Mary) - Exploring employee misconduct in the workplace: individual, organizational, and opportunity factors
B Davis, D Read, S Powell
Journal of Academic and Business Ethics - The Case for Extending Coverage of the Family and Medical Leave Act to Include a Period of Time Following the Death of a Family Member for Whom Leave Was Taken.
KS Lee, D Read, C Markham
Southern Law Journal 28 (1) (Academy of Legal Studies in Business) - Insights from Snowboard Pedagogy for the Legal Studies Instructor
JS Anderson, D Read, KS Lee, J Linford
DePaul J. Sports L. 16, i (DePaul University) - Documentos: Legally Instructive Narratives in Mexican-American Memoirs and United States Immigration Law
P Guajardo, D Read
Texas Hispanic Journal of Law & Policy 24, 1 (University of Texas at Austin) - A Primer on Teaching the Law of Wills, Probate, and Basic Estate Planning Documents to Business Law Students
D Read, WA Bailey
Southern Law Journal of Business and Ethics 7, 11-35 (Academy of Legal Studies in Business) - A Pedagogical Exploration of Engagement Ring Law in the United States
D Read, et. al.
The Rocky Mountain Law Journal 4 (1) (Academy of Legal Studies in Business) - The Corporation of the Presiding Bishop v. Amos after Thirty Years: Exploring Limits of Religious Freedom, Church Employment, and the Civil Rights Act
DW Read, KS Lee, J Anderson, CS Pehrson
Boston University Public Interest Law Journal 28 (2) - Man’s Inhumanity to Man: Mexican-American Prison Memoirs and the Law
D Read, PA Guajardo, P Guajardo - The Intersection of Divorce and Tort Law in Utah
D Read, M Stevens
Utah Journal of Family Law (Utah Bar Association) - Extending the Leave Protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act
K Lee, D Read, C Markham
Southern Law Journal 28 (1) (Academy of Legal Studies in Business) - Teaching Divorce Law in the Business Law Curriculum: An Examination of the Pedagogy, a Substantive Law Primer, and a Case Study
D Read
Rocky Mountain LJ 6, 57 (Academy of Legal Studies in Business) - Religiosity and Consumer Bankruptcy: A State-Level Analysis.
D Read, RJ Landry
The Consumer Finance Law Quarterly Report 68 (1) - Trust in Value Co-Creation Strategies: moving toward a conceptualization we can trust
D Read, Y Jin, SE Fawcett
Journal of Business Logistics 35 (1) ( Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals)