William M. Stradley
Houston, Texas
Partner
phone     (713) 222-9141
fax     (713) 236-1886
email     Email Me

There are actually two Bill Stradleys. Bill Sr. is well known in Houston Texas as one of its most respected personal injury lawyers. Although semi-retired now, Bill Sr. was highly visible in the Houston legal community for 40 years. His son, William “Bill” Stradley Jr. has added to his father’s legacy in the legal community, albeit he has taken a dissimilar path, focusing primarily on Criminal Law, and being one of the original founders of the law firm of Stradley, Chernoff & Alford.

Bill Jr. was president of his high school class at Lamar High School. He attended the University of Texas in Austin, and graduated in 1987 with an economics degree. He completed his law degree at the South Texas College of law in 1990, making a name for himself in the school’s vaunted advocacy program.

After law school, Bill joined the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and put his trial skills to use on a daily basis. His abilities were immediately recognized and he rose quickly through the ranks. Ultimately, he was asked to teach other prosecutors the art and style of jury trial preparation and technique.

Bill has been in private practice for over eleven years. During that time his success rate in trial has been described as “eerie”. One longtime District Judge in Houston said after a recent trial that Bill is one of best lawyers he has ever seen in trial. However, ability alone surely can’t explain his success. Bill wins acquittals in cases completely absent any defensive facts. He wins cases where the allegations are heinous. He wins in the face of judicial, public and prosecutorial pressure, and does so in an almost breezy manner. After awhile, his partner Matt began joking that Bill had made a pact with the devil. The joke got out and other lawyers began asking Bill if he had brought chicken blood with him to trial. (Bill is a devout Christian and didn’t find that funny.)

Bill is just plain good at what he does. In 1997 Bill was awarded the Board Certification in Criminal Law by the State Bar of Texas. He was recertified in 2002. Conservatively, he has tried over 100 jury trials to verdict during his career. Currently, his practice is limited to the most serious of criminal accusations and he is known nationally for his defense of those accused of Sexual crimes. He constantly travels to different Texas cities in defense of his clients.

Personality wise, Bill is a bit of an oddball. In his private life, he has a tendency to follow a set routine. It might not be a stretch to say he suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. For instance, he might frequent the same establishment for lunch every day, ordering the exact same meal. Then one day he might smell something he doesn’t like in the restaurant and never go in again. His pens and other desk accoutrements are lined up in a line on his desk. If you really want to get under his skin, move one 45 degrees!

He met his wife Stephanie in 1990 while studying for the Bar Exam. Stephanie is unique in her own way. Whereas Bill has no interest in any sport, Stephanie is a sports fanatic. In fact, she publishes her own Blog about the Houston Texans and is known in the sports community as “Texans Chick”. They live in a Frank Lloyd Wright style home in Memorial, and have two children, Jackson (6) and Jessica (4).

Areas of Practice:
      100% Criminal

Litigation Percentage:
      100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Certification/Specialties:
      Board Certified in Criminal Law, 1987

Bar Admissions:
      Texas, 1990
      U.S. District Court Southern District of 
      Texas, 1995

Education:
      South Texas College of Law, Houston,
      Texas, 1990
      J.D.

      University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 1987
      B.S.
      Major: Economics

Professional Associations and Memberships:
      Texas Defense Lawyers Association

      Harris County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

Past Employment Positions:
      Harris County District Attorney's Office,
            Assistant District Attorney, 1990 - 1995

Fraternities/Sororities:
      Kappa Alpha