We Protect Your Constitutional Rights Meet the Attorneys of Smith & Vinson Law Firm

Matt Watkins

Matt Watkins is an experienced trial lawyer and former prosecutor that gives his all to get the best results for his clients. He is an aggressive advocate and fights for a dismissal or a not guilty on each case. Matt has tried more than 40 jury trials to verdict.

Matt earned his B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Texas at Arlington. He went on to complete his M.A. in Political Science with a focus on Constitutional Law at the University of Texas at Dallas, and he graduated his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. Matt knew early that he wanted to be a trial attorney, and he dedicated himself to trial advocacy studies in law school. Matt competed in mock trial to sharpen his advocacy throughout his time in law school, ultimately achieving victory in the championship round of the Gardere Novice Mock Trial competition.

Matt began his legal career as a prosecutor in Williamson County, working for the Williamson County Attorney’s office. Matt rose quickly during his time as a prosecutor and handled a wide variety of case assignments, including being a court chief of two different county courts at law, the Veteran’s Treatment Court prosecutor, supervisor of all specialty assignments such as mental health, animal cruelty, DWI/Drug Court, and ultimately becoming the Criminal Trial Director. Matt was responsible for training both prosecutors and police officers in matters of trial presentation and strategy. He was also chosen frequently to directly train new officers and prosecutors about many aspects of their respective roles, including plea negotiation, court room presentation, and trial.

Matt is also a veteran. He spent 6 years in the US Air Force Reserves

Through Matt’s time as a prosecutor, he came to see that often there was more to a story than was in a police report. Matt’s goal is to help people truly tell their story and get the right outcome in every case.

Matt’s extensive experience on a wide variety of criminal assignments and trials makes him uniquely prepared to have an edge in aggressively defending your case. Matt knows the system from the inside and will use his knowledge to get you the best possible result.

Practice Areas

Education

University of Texas School of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence
University of Texas at Dallas, Master of Arts in Political Science
University of Texas at Arlington, Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Bar Admissions

Texas

Professional Associations

Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
National College for DUI Defense
DUI Defense Lawyers Association
Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
Williamson County Bar Association
College of the State Bar of Texas

Professional Experience

Williamson County Attorney’s Office, Prosecutor & Criminal Trial Director
Williamson County District Attorney’s Office, Legal Intern
Travis County Attorney’s Office, Legal Intern
Travis County District Attorney’s Office, Legal Intern

Our Clients Are Our Biggest Endorsers
Hear What They Have to Say

Professional and effective attorney
“Brad was extremely professional throughout the entire process. He was direct and prompt in responding to my inquiries and I felt at ease knowing he was taking care of my case. I will definitely use Brad and his firm in the future and highly recommend them if you need an excellent defense attorney! Thanks Brad!”

Andi
Fantastic Attorney = Fantastic Results
“I hired Brad Vinson to handle a legal matter and I could not have made a better decision! Brad was attentive, listened to the facts of the case, and strategized a plan that would lead to the best result possible. Brad was communicative, available, and ultimately delivered on what he stated he would do. During this process, there were no unexpected hiccups because Brad understands the law, and understands how to defend his clients. There is no doubt that I would recommend Brad and the whole team at Smith & Vinson to represent any individual that needs legal representation. The whole team is fantastic, and delivers fantastic results.”

Justin
5 Stars in making me feel like a top priority!
“Jarrod Smith of Smith and Vinson Law Firm provided me with the best service I could have possibly asked for. Having no background in law and finding myself in a situation that left me feeling extremely vulnerable, I felt quickly at ease in their care. They were very reasonable with my situation and helped work around my needs in providing me the most support and information on how to best handle my case. I'd recommend this firm to anyone seeking help with a traffic violation of any kind. I feel that if it weren't for them I would have been heavily misguided and probably would not have made it through the system with the best possible outcome for me. 5 Stars for their service, generosity, and in making me feel like a top priority!”

Andrew
He's a real lawyer!
“A civil issue arose in Austin with a family member. We sought the advice of a well named Austin attorney. This unnamed attorney provided egregious legal advice. In court, a lifetime civil injunction was ruled by the judge on this non-criminal civil issue. Once learning of this judgement we immediately started looking for another attorney and found Brad Vinson, with Smith and Vinson. Simply put, Brad had this entire debacle reversed and a new judgement set for what is customarily ruled in similar cases. It didn't take long either. I only wish we had called Brad first. He's a real lawyer!”

David
Second to NONE
“I would love to add my thanks and heart felt appreciation for the help that your law firm provided me. Before I met you guys my situation looked very bleak and quite honestly your dedication to my case really carried over this past year and the reward was not only one felony dismissal but two. Thank you from the Ramirez family, I will always be great full and you guys have earned a spot in my family. For anyone reading, this firm is second to NON, they know what there talking about and do exactly what they promise to do. Very professional, on time and and educate you along the whole process. I had alot to lose and you guys gave it all back to me and finally represented what true Justice is here in America. God bless you both and God bless your firm”

Manuel R.

Contact Smith & Vinson Law Firm

We Step in When Your Rights & Freedom Are on the Line

We are accessible to you. All of our attorneys can be reached 24/7.
Bold and fearless defense are what our legal team is known for.
Feel free to turn to us for straightforward legal advice when you need it.
We offer free and confidential consultations to every client served.

Schedule a Consultation Today

Name

Please enter your name.
Email

This isn't a valid email address.

Please enter your email address.
Phone

This isn't a valid phone number.

Please enter your phone number.

You entered an invalid number.
Are you a new client?

Please select an option.
Message

Please enter a message.