Rickind Law

Rockind began his legal career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Oakland County prosecutor’s office, one of the toughest prosecutor’s offices in the country. Rockind served as an assistant prosecutor from 1993 to 1997 and handled hundreds of criminal cases, many of which resulted in jury trials.

Rockind quickly became a special prosecutor, a coveted role given to prosecutors who were specifically assigned to handle complex and high profile cases. As a special prosecutor, Rockind handled People v Kevorkian (the prosecution of famed assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian), People v Horton (the prosecution of a pastor charged with taking clandestine videotapes of his parishioners in the bathrooms of his church) and People v Mayhew (a groundbreaking vehicular homicide case). Rockind also prosecuted high level drug dealers, including one of the few cases resulting from an Oakland County Citizen’s Grand Jury indictment.

In 1997, Rockind changed direction and pursued a career as a criminal defense lawyer, quickly establishing a reputation in private practice as the go-to attorney for difficult, high profile cases. Rockind is known as “The Rockweiler” for his fiery, aggressive style in trial.

As a leading criminal defense attorney, Rockind represents clients in matters ranging from drunk driving to complex federal cases. Some cases are relatively quiet, while others, such as the infamous “Basketbrawl” (Piston v Pacer) assault case at the Palace of Auburn Hills where Rockind obtained the only dismissal, have full-scale media attention. Among various high profile cases, Rockind represented Kimberly Mathers, the former wife of rapper/actor, Mashall Mathers, a/k/a Eminem, various other celebrities and was one of the lead attorneys defending famed personal injury attorney Geoffrey Fieger, in an investigation brought by the Michigan Attorney General.

Rockind has been named a Super Lawyer, among the Top 100 Lawyers in Michigan, among the Top 50 Lawyers in Michigan, among the Top 10 Criminal Defense Lawyers in Michigan, among the Top 100 DUI Attorneys in the United States, the Best of Detroit by Hour Magazine, a Leading Lawyer, a Top Criminal Defense Lawyer by Dbusiness Magazine and among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Association. Rockind was named among the Nation’s Top One Percent of Lawyers by the National Association for Distinguished Counsel and won the ACQ Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year in 2014. Recently, Rockind was awarded the prestigious “Leader in the Law” award by the Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly.

Rockind is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan and the Northern District of Ohio. He has been admitted pro hac vice in various state and federal courts across the country. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Wayne State University Law School and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.

Rockind is a member of many organizations, including the Michigan State Bar, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, Michigan Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Bar Association. He is also on the Regional Advisory Board of the Anti-Defamation League and on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Israeli Defense Force – Michigan Chapter.

Rockind has been profiled in the Jewish News, Detroit News, The Oakland Press, Grosse Pointe News, Laws.com, Corp! magazine, Michigan Lawyers Weekly and the Detroit Legal News, to name a few. Rockind has appeared on/in too many television and radio shows to mention in this short biography. He formerly hosted his own radio show, The Neil Rockind Show, was a regular guest on Let it Rip on Fox 2 Detroit and is a current WDIV-TV (NBC) legal expert commenting on legal issues and cases. He is frequently requested to speak to groups about trial tactics, his career and his significant cases. Rockind is a contributing author to the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) commentary and practice tips section of the newly released, Michigan Standard Jury Instructions book.