Ahmad Assed is a third generation Arab-American, fluent in Arabic and English. Mr. Assed attended the University of New Mexico and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Economics and a minor in Political Science. After receiving his Bachelor’s, he went on to attend the University Of New Mexico School Of Law and graduated with his Juris Doctor while receiving the Dean’s Award during attendance. While a student, Mr. Assed was very active in university functions. He was the President of the Graduate and Professional Students Association from 1993 to 1994, which included being the Chairperson for the Finance Committee of the UNM Student Body. In the summer of 1992, Mr. Assed interned with United States Senator Jeff Bingaman in Washington D.C.. In 2009, Mr. Assed attended the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies in the Netherlands focusing on Advocacy and Litigation before the International Criminal Courts and Tribunals. In 2010, Mr. Assed completed successful training with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon for criminal defense in STL cases and in 2010 and 2011, Mr. Assed completed two ICC(International Criminal Court) training seminars.

Mr. Assed’s main areas of practice are national and international criminal defense as well as civil and personal injury law. Mr. Assed has practiced law since May of 1995. He is on the defense list for the International Criminal Court and is listed as co-counsel for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and has represented clients who have had a range of charges from petty misdemeanors to capital crimes. His civil and personal injury cases include contract disputes and civil rights. Mr. Assed has appeared in the majority of courts in the state of New Mexico and was pro hac viche twice in the State of Texas. He has had a multitude of cases from 1995 and has argued in front of the Metropolitan, District, and Federal Courts in the United Sates and has represented international clients in the United States as well as celebrities and sports figures.

Mr. Assed has been successful in a post-adjudication case in the 10th Circuit United States Court of Appeals including U.S.A. vs. Lavaland Annex/Relax Motel Inc., 2001, which was a benchmark decision regarding the subjective and objective standard of the Drug Force Act. Mr. Assed has a working knowledge of Shari’a Law and the International Criminal Court (ICC) proceedings. He was appointed ad hoc counsel by the ICC . Mr. Assed was also appointed to be a member of the defense team by the ACLU through the John Adams Project.

Mr. Assed is affiliated with various organizations and is a member of: the New Mexico Bar Association, American Bar Association, International Bar Association, International Chamber of Commerce, New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, International Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Mr. Assed was the past President of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee from 1999 to 2000, and was on the Board of Directors for: the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association from 2007 to 2010, Salam Academy (co-founder) from 2003 to 2004, the Islamic Center of New Mexico from 2001 to 2002, New Mexico Public Defender Commission (2013), Central New Mexico Labor Board (2012), Hispano Chamber of Commerce (2010), Special Tribunal of Lebanon, List of Defense Counsel (2009) and is currently on the Board of Directors for the American Civil Liberties Union Albuquerque Chapter.

Mr. Assed authored the “Report of the Ved Nanda Center for International and Comparative Law on the Prosecution of Democracy Advocate in Baharain” for The Ved Nanda Center for International and Criminal Law (February 2012)

Mr. Assed is very active in our community as well as nationally and internationally. He is a lifelong member of the Democratic Party and is an ongoing invitee in judging mock trials and lectures on various topics at the University Of New Mexico School Of Law. In 1997, he was recognized as “New Mexico Volunteer Attorney of the Year” by the New Mexico State Bar and has been selected several times to be a member of the Judicial Selection Committee for the Bernalillo County Metropolitan and District Courts since 2002. Mr. Assed was selected as a member of the Racial Profiling Task Force in 2003 by Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and was chosen by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to represent New Mexico on a delegation to the country of Qatar to discuss economic developments in 2004. In 2009, he was appointed head of the New Mexico Criminal Defense Strike Force and remains on that committee to this day. Mr. Assed has also been selected by TruTV to appear as a guest commentator on several occasions for live criminal trials. Mr. Assed has taught continuing education for the New Mexico Bar Association and seminars with the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association on various subjects: evidence, cross-examination, trial practice, professionalism and ethics.