Tad Nelson

Tad Nelson takes pride in making Galveston, Texas his home. Attorney Tad Nelson was born on Galveston Island and graduated from the local public high school, Galveston Ball in 1983. After graduation, Mr. Nelson studied at the University of Texas in Austin.

Right after law school, Tad Nelson began his legal career as a State Prosecutor under the supervision of Michael J. Guarino. He worked as an Assistant District Attorney from 1992 to 1995 with distinction. As a prosecutor Tad always said, "It is more important to do right, than to be right”. It was here that Tad Nelson realized that each and every client and case is unique and as such demands his personalized attention. He took these invaluable lessons and applied them to his own private practice where he began representing criminal defense cases in 1995. His practice has been a success, and the community agrees. Attorney Tad Nelson was recently selected as "The Best Attorney in Galveston County" by the Galveston County Daily News.

By representing both the prosecution and defense at different times in his career, Attorney Nelson has developed the insight to anticipate the many complexities of criminal defense work. With such a deep connection to the legal community, Tad Nelson appreciates the importance of giving back to the local community as well. He has a passion for making his community a better place to live and because of that, he has held numerous positions throughout Galveston and League City.

Mr. Nelson currently holds Position 1 on the League City Council; he has served as a Board Member of the Gulf Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters since 1999 and is currently the Past President. Mr. Nelson is active in the Galveston Rotary Club and the League City Lions Club. He is also a sponsor for Bowl for Kids Sake, Meals on Wheels yearly Christmas funds drive, The Yagas Wild Game Dinner, and The Village Fair.

Attorney Tad Nelson’s passion for making a difference in criminal law and his own community has been recognized by the legal community as well. He receives numerous invitations to speak to other attorneys about the practice of law in defending criminal cases. His extensive legal knowledge has been the basis for frequent guest appearances on local and national programs dealing with criminal issues. These national programs include The O'Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, CNN, and CourtTV.

His qualifications include:

Professional
1995 – Present Criminal Defense Practice (Houston/Galveston Area)
1998 – 2000 Adjunct Professor of Business Law, Galveston Community College
1995 Received Board Certification in Criminal Defense. (Earliest time to possibly be qualified to sit for the Certification Exam)
1992 – 1995 Assistant District Attorney, Galveston County District Attorney's Office

Admitted to Practice
State of Texas, November 1991
Texas Supreme Court
United States Supreme Court
United States District Court, Southern District of Texas
State of Texas Certified 1st Chair: Capital Murder Trails Pertaining to the Death Penalty

Memberships and Affiliations
Board Certification in Criminal Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
American Trial Lawyers Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Texas State Bar Association
Texas Trial Lawyers Association
Texas Association of Criminal Defense Layers
Harris County Lawyers Association
Galveston County Criminal Lawyers Association
Harris County Bar Association
Galveston County Bar Association
State Bar College
National College for DUI Defense

Service and Community Organizations
Board Member Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Gulf Coast
Past President, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Gulf Coast
Rotary Club of Galveston
Lions Club of League City