Attorney Endorsements continued

"Any attorney who has not availed themselves of the incredible services of Dr. Sheila Balkan, in connection with bail, preplea reports, trial consultation and sentencing, is committing malpractice."

David Kenner
Law Offices of David Kenner
Encino, CA

"Dr. BALKAN IS AN AWARD WINNER-----LITERALLY! In a high profile domestic violence case (post-OJ), the prosecutors were insisting on custody time as a condition of any disposition. I turned to Sheila Balkan for help. Dr. Balkan, keenly aware of politics and public perception, conceived of a unique alternative sentence---our client would star in and arrange for the airing of a public service announcement on domestic violence. A deal was reached thanks to the creativity and imagination of Dr. Balkan. As for the PSA....It was great. So great that Dr. Balkan won a Telly award as writer/producer of one of the best PSAs of the year."

Janet Levine
Crowell & Moring LLP
Los Angeles, CA

"She is the very best at what she does, indispensable."

Leonard Levine
Law Offices of Leonard Levine
Century City, CA

"Dr. Balkan has a unique ability to find compelling individual circumstances for each and every defendant, and present them in a manner that is compelling to judges for use in sentencing proceedings. After Booker/Fanfan, these issues are more important than they ever were, and Sheila has the ability to work with defense attorneys to obtain the best possible sentences for their clients."

John Lundin
Law Offices of John Lundin
Seattle, WA

"Over the past 20 years of working with Dr. Balkan, I can think of numerous cases in which her assistance has significantly influenced and impacted the Courts' sentencing decisions."

Stan Marks
Law Office of Stanley H. Marks
Denver, CO

"In over 35 years of practice as a criminal defense attorney in both the state and federal courts, I have come across no one who comes close to matching the intellect, creativity and diligence of Dr. Balkan in the preparation of preplea and sentencing reports. She is truly the Rolls Royce of her profession. I have seen her reports melt the hearts of the most cold-hearted and rigid jurists."

Alvin Michaelson
Law Offices of Alvin Michaelson
Century City, CA

"Sheila is relentless in identifying, documenting and explaining the life experiences related to criminal behavior and in bringing to the court a compelling presentation aimed at effecting change in a defendant's life, instead of simply throwing away the key."

Marsha Morrissey
Law Offices of Marsha Morrissey
Santa Monica, CA

"After 25 years of working with Dr. Balkan, I have come to rely on her in all my difficult cases. Dr. Balkan uses creative and innovative ways to capture and communicate to the court the hardships and personal trauma facing a client. Her video taped production of my client's daily life with his two autistic children conveyed more than any oral presentation I could have made. It won my client his liberty and his life."

Michael Nasatir
Nasatir, Hirsch, Podberesky & Genego
Santa Monica, CA

"The unique combination of analytical skill and deep professional insight has made a positive difference in every case in which I have engaged Dr. Balkan. The results have uniformly been outstanding for the client."

Angela Oh
Director of Western Justice Center
Los Angeles, CA

"In a substantial real estate fraud case, Dr Balkan's background investigation uncovered a ground for departure based on the client's family history. A generally unsympathetic sentencing judge accepted our argument and, over the government's objection, gave our client a much lower sentence than had been expected. I always feel confident that Sheila will apply her creativity to the unique facts of the case and come up with the most compelling arguments."

Brian O'Neill
Jones Day
Los Angeles, CA

"Dr. Balkan possesses unique insight and uncanny intuition to identify and effectively communicate grounds for downward departures. She expertly weaves together facts to tell a client's life story with compassion and clarity. She has helped me to obtain significantly reduced sentences for clients before some of the most formidable judges in the state and federal courts. She is a true miracle worker!"

Vicki Podberesky
Nasatir, Hirsch, Podberesky & Genego
Santa Monica, CA

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