Meet Daniel Schwalm
For those who read the newspapers, Mr. Schwalm’s name may be familiar as his name routinely appears in local coverage regarding the cases he is working on. In fact, he has been mentioned on the front page more than once and has appeared on television on occasion. Due to copyright laws, those specific stories are not referenced here. Since 2016, Mr. Schwalm's name has appeared in area newspaper articles regarding his work on cases involving the following charges: murder, sexual assault, armed robbery, kidnapping, home invasion, unlawful imprisonment, carjacking, child abuse, assault with intent to murder, resisting obstructing police, carrying concealed weapons, lying to police, felony accessory, and domestic violence. In addition, Mr. Schwalm also has an outstanding reputation for ethics and legal skill among judges and other attorneys.
Mr. Schwalm began his legal career working at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in Detroit in 2001 as an intern. From 2001, until he left the office in 2002, Mr. Schwalm learned the art of trial advocacy under the tutelage of the elite attorneys selected for the Major Drug Unit. The Major Drug Unit prosecutes cases involving large quantities of controlled substances and the organizations that control narcotics operations.
Mr. Schwalm left the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in 2002 and joined a boutique law firm in Plymouth, Michigan, where he specialized in representing clients in high net-worth divorce and child-custody matters. Mr. Schwalm joined the boutique law firm as a law clerk and—after passing the bar exam—left as an associate attorney.
Having enjoyed public service and the practice of criminal law immensely from his time as an intern, Mr. Schwalm left his promising—and potentially lucrative—career at the boutique law firm in 2006 to join the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office as an assistant prosecutor. From 2006 until 2021—with the exception of a 17-month hiatus as a criminal defense lawyer in Wayne and Washtenaw Counties—Mr. Schwalm worked exclusively as a prosecutor. He's tried hundreds of criminal cases to verdicts before both juries and judges. Mr. Schwalm has appeared in courtrooms across the State of Michigan, from as far away as Detroit, Mt. Clemens, Pontiac, Ann Arbor, Adrian, Howell, Jackson, Battle Creek, and others. Additionally, Mr. Schwalm has enjoyed the unique opportunity to try many felony and misdemeanor cases out-of-state to juries as far west of the Mississippi River as Madison County, Iowa (famous for the covered bridges). From 2011 to 2016, Mr. Schwalm limited his practice to trying drunk driving matters, where he gained a specialized education and experience. During this time, Mr. Schwalm learned about the effects of alcohol and drugs on the human body, the science of forensic toxicology, and the relationship between alcohol with blood, breath, and urine. Additionally, Mr. Schwalm has had significant experience trying domestic violence matters, where he dedicated his practice exclusively from 2007 to 2008. Mr. Schwalm has been entrusted to try high-stakes capital offense matters on multiple occasions, where the possible punishment was the highest allowed by law in the appropriate jurisdiction. Mr. Schwalm has developed a unique style of trying cases by making legal concepts and facts simple and easy for jurors to understand, including the use of software-generated visual aids. During his time as a prosecutor, Mr. Schwalm has had the honor of training multiple new attorneys in the art of trial advocacy: many of those he’s trained have gone on to become successful prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges. At least fourteen lawyers (including two who have gone on to become judges) had their first jury trial either against Mr. Schwalm or under his direct supervision.
Mr. Schwalm is a 2000 graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, having earned a bachelor of business administration, majoring in finance. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Wayne State University Law School in December of 2003. He was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2004, having passed the bar exam on his first attempt. He is also licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C., the Federal Court for the Eastern District and Western Districts of Michigan, and the United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
"A person who is qualified by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, in the administration of standardized field sobriety tests, including the horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test, shall be allowed to testify subject to showing of a proper foundation of qualifications. This section does not preclude the admissibility of a nonstandardized field sobriety test if it complies with the Michigan rules of evidence." Michigan Compiled Law § 257.625s.
