Experience matters.
Robert A. George is one of Boston and Cape Cod’s Most Accomplished and Acclaimed Defense Attorneys.
He has been there for almost fifty years from arrest through appeal for clients throughout New England.
"..The right attorney to defend..the prosecution was outgunned and outmatched..the judge seemed impressed and maybe a bit intimidated, and the all important jury seemed to appreciate the skill and professionalism of a real pro..This guy had everyone in the room glued to his every move, his every word. He's that good."
Bob Sawtelle, West Roxbury Bulletin
“Mr. George was an extraordinary advocate...what was significant...was the passion with which he represented [his clients]...among the best in terms of his energy, the commitment, and the work product...he is a really exceptional lawyer. We need criminal defense attorneys who are zealous advocates,...it is not an easy profession...we need him.”
(Ret) Judge Nancy Gertner, United States District Court of Massachusetts
“...George’s work has also earned him the respect of opposing lawyers and police officers...a natural...he is adroit at cross-examination...methodically picking apart witnesses in testimony until it collapses...like watching a person taking apart an erector set one nut, one bolt, one piece at a time.”
Jonathan Saltzman, Providence Journal
"..He had an in-depth understanding when it came to sentencing structures and sentencing considerations of his clients..he took a real interest not only in the result he was trying to achieve but..what it was about his clients that brought them to the brink of where they were..he stood out..as an unusual criminal trial lawyer of the many I saw.."
(Ret) Judge Mel Greenberg, Massachusetts Appeals Court
Passionate
“As a past president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, and the New England Bar Association, I have interacted with many lawyers…very few of these attorneys have impressed me as Mr. George has…His performances at trial are textbook-perfect, with his cross-examinations and closing argument examples of zealous, passionate, and effective advocacy…He knows no color, creed, or background and only cared about what a person was going through.”
James S. Dilday, Past President Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, and the New England Bar Association
Relentless
“Now after five weeks’ testimony not so many are so sure: the defense had scored heavily with brutal and withering cross-examination of witnesses, just as Robert George,…had chopped away at the state’s case element by element, leaving the supposedly ironclad charges of murder, aggravated rape, and burglary subject to reasonable doubt…what had once been a powerful case had been exposed by George as one which was not worthy of belief, poorly investigated, bent on an arrest at any cost, and in some quarters, corrupt.”
Peter Manso, Pulitizer Prize-nominated author of Reasonable Doubt
Tireless
“Time and again, the feedback on Bob George was that he was a tireless advocate for his clients, who would tenaciously use any and all means at his disposal in their defense,…but always maintaining ethical comportment and staying within the guidelines of the Bar…the review done on Robert George resulted in his getting the highest rating, AV, signifying that the lawyers and judges of the Bar had found his legal ability to be “very high to preeminent” and his ethics “beyond reproach”. This is a rating achieved by a very small percentage of the Bar.”
William Toland Jr., Former Martindale Hubbell New England Representative
Zealous
“A more difficult cross-examination is difficult to conjure. Bob persuaded everyone in that courtroom capable of suasion that the First Assistant District Attorney was wrong – she had not seen that witness identify his client. Twenty-eight years later, I remember it well. The highest principles of our profession in general, and criminal defense in particular, manifested at their best. Through zealous advocacy, he saved an eighteen-year-old’s life. Justice was done. I saw Bob George do it.”
John Cunha, Past-President of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL), a member of MACDL’s Board for the past twenty years, and a voting member of the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission
“A society should be judged not by how it treats its
outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals.”
~Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Trial advocates must be fearless but not careless. An examination of history teaches how rare is the courage to fight an unpopular cause. Lawyers should be supremely prepared but cannot get lost in their paperwork. They must be legal masters but not so buried in legalese that they cannot get through to ordinary citizens.
When someone or a loved one is under investigation or accused of wrongdoing, life seems to collapse. When a person is on the brink of losing everything, they can’t think straight. It takes strength to face criminal charges, and the pressure makes the simplest decisions difficult. My goal is to make such a terrifying experience manageable by providing seasoned, honest, and aggressive counsel inside and outside of the courtroom.
Chesterton once wrote about the judicial system that “… it is a terrible business to mark a man out for the vengeance of men. But it is a thing to which a man can grow accustomed, as he can to other terrible things; he can even grow accustomed to the sun. And the horrible thing about all legal officials, even the best, about all judges, magistrates, barristers, detectives, and policemen…, is simply that they have got used to it. Strictly, they do not see the prisoner in the dock; all they see is the usual man in the usual place. They do not see the awful court of judgment; they only see their own workshop.” I have and will always see the court through the lens of someone accused, arrested, and forced to endure the criminal justice system.
In order to do my job, I use private investigators, trial consultants, and forensic experts. Criminalists, photographers, engineers, physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists, among others, assist me. Preparation, investigation, motion practice, and trial presentation is all-important in my work. If a case must go to trial, which is always the last resort, no one out-works, out-prepares, or out-performs my defense of any client.
Representing Selected Clients in State, Federal, & Appellate Courts.
A Boston and Cape Cod criminal defense practice handling the most serious criminal cases from investigation, arrest, and through appeal.
Fifty years. The hardest cases. The same commitment to the person in the dock.
For half a century, Robert A. George has defended people in Massachusetts and federal courts when everything they had was on the line: murder, aggravated rape, and the cases no one else wanted to take. He has tried them before juries and argued them them to the appellate courts. Through all of it, he has kept the view that defines his practice. He sees the courtroom the way the accused person sees it, not as one more case on a crowded docket.
In a high-profile Cape Cod murder trial, Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Peter Manso wrote that George “chopped away at the state’s case element by element,” until a prosecution once thought ironclad was left open to reasonable doubt.
John Cunha, past president of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, still remembers a cross-examination from twenty-eight years ago, one that convinced a courtroom the First Assistant District Attorney was mistaken about an identification. “Through zealous advocacy, he saved an eighteen-year-old’s life.”
James S. Dilday, past president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association, and the New England Bar Association, called his trial performances “textbook-perfect.”
His peers and the judiciary have given him Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating, its highest, which recognizes legal ability and ethics of the highest order.
When you or someone you love is under investigation or charged, life seems to collapse, and even simple decisions become hard. Bob George’s job is to make that experience manageable, with seasoned, honest, and aggressive counsel inside and outside the courtroom.
That means real preparation. He works with private investigators, forensic experts, trial consultants, physicians, psychiatrists, engineers, and others to test every part of the prosecution’s case. Trial is always the last resort. When a case does go to trial, his client walks in with a defense built to win.
State District & Superior Court Practice
District Court cases still carry real consequences and receive the same disciplined attention.
State Appellate Court Practice
When a state conviction or ruling requires a challenge, appellate representation focuses on building a precise, well-grounded record for review.
Federal District Court Practice
Federal Criminal Trial Practice for individuals facing investigation, indictment, or prosecution in Federal Court throughout New England.
Federal Appellate Court Practice
Serious criminal convictions handled on appeal in the Federal Appellate Circuit Courts demand thorough preparation and skilled courtroom advocacy.
Areas We Serve
Proudly serving clients throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont. We welcome individuals, families, and communities across the region and are committed to providing accessible, inclusive service to everyone we serve.
State, Federal, and Appellate Courts Covered Thoroughly
Representation in Boston and beyond, including state & federal cases throughout New England.
One defining feature of this practice is federal pro hac vice admission, which allows representation in federal courts outside Massachusetts when a case demands it. That matters if your federal matter crosses jurisdictional lines or originates in a district where you need a lawyer admitted to appear. The process, the timeline, and what you should expect at each stage will be explained clearly before any decisions are made.
State cases follow their own procedural path — District Court proceedings move differently than Superior Court felony matters, and both differ substantially from how cases are handled at the Appeals Court or before the Supreme Judicial Court. Understanding where your case sits on that spectrum, and what procedural steps lie ahead, helps you make informed decisions rather than reactive ones.
Trial, Appeal, and Federal Representation
This practice covers a focused but comprehensive range of criminal defense representation, including:
District Court defense for matters brought in lower state courts, serving clients throughout New England
State Superior Court representation for serious felonies through aggressive, sustained, and thorough preparation
Federal criminal defense at the trial level, where procedural demands, complexity, and stakes are the highest
Federal appellate work for cases throughout New England where briefing, argument, and appellate challenges are important
To discuss where your case stands and what representation at your stage looks like, reach out to schedule a consultation.
Our Featured Resources
Hands-on Representation Across Federal and State Proceedings
Attorney Robert A. George has built his practice around the reality that criminal defendants — whether in federal district court or before a state jury in Boston — need an attorney who is present and accountable at every procedural turn, not just at the moments that feel urgent. A practice that covers both trial and appellate work is one that has skin in the outcome from the beginning, because the choices made early in a case shape what's available on appeal.
Pro hac vice admission ensures that accountability beyond the Commonwealth of Massachusetts when someone's case requires it, without requiring the client to hire unfamiliar counsel in another jurisdiction. Continuity of aggressive representation, consistent advocacy, and a practice concentrated specifically on serious criminal defense — these are the hallmarks of every case handled by Attorney George.
If you're ready to move forward, contact the office directly to arrange a time to discuss your case Attorney George.
Reach Out Now
Contact Us
We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Please try again later.
If you or someone is accused of wrongdoing, convicted of a crime, or is under criminal investigation, getting competent legal advice immediately is essential before it is too late. Unrepresented individuals trying to help themselves often do more harm than good, often irreparable. If I can help you or point you in the right direction, I will. However, contacting me through this website is neither a solicitation nor an offer to represent you concerning any legal problem. Any information conveyed to me on this website is confidential but not intended to create an attorney-client relationship between you and my office. Additionally, please be aware that letters, facsimiles, or emails do not create an attorney-client relationship and that my office will not have an attorney-client relationship with you until and unless we enter into a formal agreement of engagement.
Phone
Hours
- Mon - Sun
- Open 24 Hours
Location
22 Steeple Sreet
Suite 203
Mashpee, MA
02649
420 Boylston Street
Fourth Floor
Boston, MA
02116
