David's Biography

David Vogelstein grew up in New York City in the 1950s and 60s, the son of Jewish refugees who had escaped Nazi Germany.  Until his teens, his family lived in a poor, rough neighborhood on the edge of Harlem. This tough environment forced David to develop the communication skills and street smarts that would become an invaluable asset in his career as a criminal defense lawyer.

David graduated from Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan and received a scholarship to Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he earned a B.A. in psychology. 

While at college, David experienced the legal system first hand. David and several other students took over a draft board in protest against the Vietnam War and the inequities of the military draft.  David was arrested and spent 10 days in solitary confinement at the Worcester County jail.  It was while incarcerated that David came to realize that his life’s goal must be to help others within the criminal justice system, to defend the underdog, and speak for those with no voice. 

After graduating from college in 1971, David attended Golden Gate University Law School in San Francisco. While in law school, he was awarded a judicial clerkship with Judge Donald Constine of the Superior Court of San Francisco. During this time David also worked for Robert Dorne, Esq., a nationally known criminal defense attorney. As a result, he was in court dozens of times before he graduated from law school. These early relationships and experiences greatly impacted David’s understanding of effective criminal law advocacy. 

David opened his law practice in San Francisco in 1976. He moved to Marin County in 1978, where he has lived and worked ever since.

Mock Trial Coaching and Mentoring

David has lectured and mentored thousands of high school students, individually and in groups, throughout the past decades. In 1996, David was invited to coach the mock trial team at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley.  Under David's leadership, the team won 25 County Championships in a row, four State Championships, and one National Championship in 2005—the only California school in the modern era to win a National Championship.  In 2006, the Constitutional Rights Foundation awarded David the Advocate of the Year Award for his service to mock trial. David also works with the Marin County Sheriff’s office, where he helped found and coaches the Marin County Sheriff’s Youth Academy.

Family

David Vogelstein has been married for over 40 years to his wife Vivian Sherman, a learning specialist and educational therapist with a private practice in Mill Valley.  They have two grown children. Eric Vogelstein is a professor of philosophy and medical ethics at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Sarah Vogelstein is a special education teacher in Oakland, California.