Honors & Recognition 

Nationally Recognized. Locally Respected. 

At Lance Kennedy Law, our record is built in the courtroom. Along the way, that work has earned notice from the organizations that rate, review, and recognize trial lawyers. Below is a straightforward accounting of the honors, ratings, and professional memberships associated with our firm and its founding attorney, Lance Kennedy, a former federal and Texas prosecutor. We defend clients in Austin, San Antonio, the Dallas area, and across Texas, in both state and federal court.

How to read this page. The recognitions below come from independent organizations, and each one uses its own criteria. Some are selective, peer-reviewed distinctions. Others are professional ratings that can change over time. Several are memberships or affiliations we hold. We have labeled each for what it is. No award, rating, or membership guarantees a particular result in any case.

Selective Awards & Peer Recognition 

Super Lawyers: Rising Stars 

• Awarding body: Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) 
• Recognized: 2026 (also selected in 2025, second consecutive year) 
• How selection works: Rising Stars recognizes no more than 2.5% of the attorneys in each state who are 40 or younger, or who have practiced 10 years or less. Selection is made through peer nomination, independent research, and evaluation across 12 indicators of professional achievement. It is a separate track from the main Super Lawyers list.
• Verify: Super Lawyers profile: Lance Kennedy 

Elite Lawyer (2026) 

• Awarding body: Elite Lawyer (elitelawyer.com) 
• Recognized: 2026 
• How selection works: A multi-phase process that begins with peer nomination. An advisory panel then reviews each nominee's experience, honors, credentials, and reputation using online and print sources, and only a small percentage of nominees are recognized.
• Verify: Elite Lawyer profile: Lance Kennedy 

NACDA Top Ten Ranking (2024) 

• Awarding body: National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys (NACDA) 
• Recognized: 2024 
• How selection works: NACDA names up to 10 attorneys per state following peer and staff nomination and a review of trial experience, case outcomes, and peer reviews. Candidates need at least five years in private criminal-defense practice and good standing. NACDA states that its rankings are independent of commercial influence.

Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyers 

• Awarding body: The National Trial Lawyers 
• How selection works: An invitation-based membership designation for trial attorneys age 40 and under (generally with at least three years in practice and in good standing), evaluated on reputation, trial results, and leadership through a combination of peer nomination and third-party research. The National Trial Lawyers describes it as a structured membership designation rather than a ranked award.
• Verify: The National Trial Lawyers: member profile 

Professional Honors & Fellowships 

Texas Bar Foundation: Fellow 

• Awarding body: Texas Bar Foundation 
• How selection works: Each year the Foundation invites roughly one-third of one percent of Texas attorneys, nominated by district chairs for outstanding contributions to the profession and community, who are then elected by the Board of Trustees.

College of the State Bar of Texas (Texas Bar College): Member 

• Awarding body: College of the State Bar of Texas 
• How membership works: An honorary society for Texas attorneys who exceed the State Bar's minimum continuing-legal-education requirements. Initial membership requires 45 CLE hours in a single year (or 80 hours over three years), including 3 ethics hours, and 30 hours annually thereafter. Membership signals above-average continuing legal education.

Independent Ratings 

Avvo Rating: 10.0 "Superb" 

• Rating body: Avvo 
• How the rating works: Avvo's proprietary algorithm scores lawyers from 1.0 to 10.0 using publicly available data: years licensed, experience, peer endorsements, professional achievements, and disciplinary history. A 10.0 is the top "Superb" tier, and it cannot be purchased. Avvo ratings are dynamic and can change over time.
• Verify: Avvo profile: Lance Kennedy 

Better Business Bureau: A+ Rating 

• Rating body: Better Business Bureau (BBB) 
• How the rating works: BBB grades businesses from A+ to F on a 100-point scale across 13 weighted factors, driven largely by complaint volume and resolution and by time in business. An A+ requires a score of 97-100. BBB grades are dynamic and are not tied to a specific year. (Accreditation is a separate status from the letter grade.)
• Verify: BBB profile: Lance Kennedy PLLC

Professional Memberships & Affiliations 

DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA): Member 

• Organization: DUI Defense Lawyers Association 
• About: A national membership organization for attorneys who actively defend DUI/DWI cases. Membership requires an active DUI-defense practice and generally at least one DUI-focused CLE each year. This is a professional affiliation, not a competitive award.

Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court: Member 

• Organization: American Inns of Court, Robert W. Calvert Inn (Austin) 
• About: American Inns of Court are membership organizations of judges, attorneys, and scholars devoted to professionalism, ethics, civility, and legal skills. The Calvert Inn (Austin's oldest, founded in 1990) admits practicing attorneys and judges in Travis and contiguous counties by annual application. This is a professional membership, not an award.
• Verify: Firm announcement (PR Newswire) 

Community Involvement 

Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce: Proud Member 

• Organization: Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce 
• About: Membership in the region's business-and-civic organization. This is a community and business affiliation, not a legal ranking, a peer-reviewed honor, or an award. We include it here to reflect our roots in the Austin community, not as a legal distinction.

Board-Certified Trial Attorneys

Recognition is one measure; certification is another. Jeffrey Parker, our senior trial attorney, is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a credential held by a small fraction of Texas attorneys. Jeffrey Parker (certified since 2008). 

Talk With a Former Prosecutor About Your Case 

Recognition matters, but results come from preparation and trial-tested advocacy. As former federal and Texas prosecutors, we know how the other side builds a case, and how to take it apart. If you are facing charges anywhere in Texas, call (737) 324-7540 for a free, confidential case review, or reach us through our contact page.

Attorney Advertising. Lance Kennedy Law, principal office in Austin, Texas. This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. No result is guaranteed, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.