Benjamin Schaefer

Benjamin Schaefer, Virginia Criminal Defense Attorney

Co-Founder and Managing Partner | DUI, Serious Traffic and Criminal Defense

Benjamin Schaefer is a co-founder and managing partner of NOVADefenders, S&R Law Firm PLLC. He has practiced law in Virginia since 2010. After several years as a defense lawyer, he joined Ryan Rambudhan in 2014 to build a firm devoted entirely to criminal defense. Since then he has represented people throughout Northern Virginia, with a long-standing practice in the courts of Fairfax, Prince William, Arlington, Alexandria and Loudoun.

Ben understands that a criminal or serious traffic charge can turn a person’s life upside down, putting a license, a job and a clean record at risk all at once. He takes the time to listen, explains the evidence and the law in plain terms, and makes sure each client understands the choices ahead before any decision is made. Clients come away knowing where they stand and knowing that someone is in their corner.

Practice and Trial Experience

Ben is an experienced trial lawyer. He has tried many cases before judges in general district and circuit courts and before juries in circuit court, and he prepares every case as though it will be tried. That preparation gives his clients real options, whether the case is resolved before trial or decided in the courtroom.

Technical DUI Defense

Ben has built much of his practice around technical DUI cases. These cases often turn on scientific evidence, so he knows how blood and breath testing works and where it can go wrong. He looks closely at how a sample was collected, stored, preserved and tested, and whether every step followed the required procedures. He keeps that knowledge current through ongoing DUI courses and continuing legal education. In one DUI case, Ben challenged the blood evidence based on improper preservation and a breach of testing protocol. The case was dismissed.

Search and Seizure and Pretrial Motions

Many cases are won or lost before trial begins. Ben has a solid command of search and seizure law and Fourth Amendment litigation. He looks hard at every stop, search and arrest to see whether police followed the law. He has successfully argued many pretrial motions, including motions to suppress evidence, and those motions have led to dismissals, including recent DUI dismissals.

Serious Traffic and Juvenile Defense

Ben defends clients charged with reckless driving, eluding police, hit and run and other serious driving offenses that can carry a criminal record, jail exposure and the loss of a license. He also represents young people in juvenile matters, where he works closely with families to protect a young client’s future.

Appellate Experience

Some cases do not end at trial. Ben handles appeals as well as trials. In a felony firearm case, he persuaded the Court of Appeals of Virginia to reverse the trial court and send the case back for further proceedings.

Education and Academic Honors

• J.D., The Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law, 2009
• Associate Editor, then Articles Editor, World Arbitration and Mediation Law Review
• M.A., Middle Eastern History, University of Vermont, 2006
• B.A., Political Science and History, University of Vermont, 2001

Bar Admission

• Virginia, 2010

Professional Memberships

• Virginia State Bar
• Prince William County Bar Association

Outside the Office

Ben lives in Fairfax with his wife and their five children, who keep him busy.

Contact Us for a Free Consultation

If you or someone you care about is facing a DUI, a serious traffic charge or another criminal charge, call 703.273.6431 or fill out the contact form. A real person answers 24 hours a day.