Board Certified Criminal Defense and Appellate Attorney
Jacob Blizzard
FOUNDING & MANAGING PARTNER – Board Certified, Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law – Texas Board of Legal Specialization · Board Certified, Criminal Trial Law – National Board of Trial Advocacy
Jacob Blizzard defends people charged with state and federal crimes in Texas, and he fights for them after a conviction too. He is one of a small group of Texas lawyers board certified in both criminal law and criminal appeals, and he holds a national trial certification on top of that.
Since 2010, Jacob has tried cases before juries, written appeals and filed 11.07 writs of habeas corpus for clients across Texas, in state courts and in federal court. Whether your case is headed to trial or already decided, he brings the same deep knowledge of the record and the law.
| Certification | Certifying body | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Law | Texas Board of Legal Specialization | 2016 |
| Criminal Appellate Law | Texas Board of Legal Specialization | 2019 |
| Criminal Trial Law | National Board of Trial Advocacy | 2024 |
Expertise Matters
Three Board Certifications in Criminal Law, Appeals and Trial
Jacob holds three board certifications. Few Texas attorneys hold even one: of more than 100,000 licensed lawyers in the state, only about 7,450 are board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS). Less than 50 are dual board certified in Criminal Defense and Criminal Appeals.
Why dual TBLS certification matters
As of the 2019 certification year, only 87 Texas lawyers were board certified in both criminal law and criminal appellate law. That pairing means Jacob tries a case knowing how it will look on appeal, and he handles an appeal knowing how trials actually unfold.
To earn criminal appellate certification, Jacob had to show substantial work on at least 50 criminal appellate cases, including at least 5 oral arguments. He also needed references from judges and lawyers, 60 hours of approved continuing education in criminal appellate law and a passing score on a 6-hour exam. You can verify his certifications on his TBLS profile.
National Board of Trial Advocacy
Jacob is one of only 32 Texas attorneys certified in criminal trial law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA). NBTA certification requires substantial trial experience, judicial and peer references, legal writing samples, continuing education, good standing with the bar and a comprehensive exam.
Texas and Federal Criminal Defense
Along with appellate representation, Jacob represents people accused of any state or federal crime, from misdemeanors to first-degree felonies. He has won state jury trials, including a capital murder case, and he has won federal jury trials in the Abilene, San Angelo and Lubbock divisions of the Northern District of Texas. Those were cases tried to a verdict, not pleaded out.
Some cases call for careful negotiation and plea bargaining. Others call for preparing for trial and asking a jury for a not guilty verdict. Jacob decides that strategy with the client, based on the evidence and the law.
Charges Jacob defends
- Murder, capital murder and manslaughter
- Sexual assault
- Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- Drug possession and possession with intent to deliver
- Texas felony charges
- Federal criminal charges
Criminal Appeals and Post-Conviction Relief
A conviction is not always the end of a case. Jacob has written many criminal appeal briefs in Texas state courts and federal courts of appeals, and he has argued cases orally before both.
Post-conviction services
A Defense Built With You, Not Around You
Jacob has heard many clients describe past lawyers who spoke with them once at hiring and again at the courthouse. He works differently. He builds a plan with each client, explains the options to them and their families, and keeps them informed as the case moves.
Jacob does not assume a client is guilty. He holds the government to its constitutional burden of proving every element beyond a reasonable doubt, and he studies the facts and legal issues of each case in depth before recommending a path.
He also built a team of skilled lawyers at Blizzard & Zimmerman so that every criminal case, at trial or on appeal, has the depth of support it needs.
A defense lawyer, never a prosecutor
Jacob has never served as a Texas state prosecutor or a federal prosecutor. Throughout his career, he has stood on the side of the defense, defending his clients to the full extent of the law.
He also built a team of skilled lawyers at Blizzard & Zimmerman so that every criminal case, at trial or on appeal, has the depth of support it needs.
Faq’s
Recognition and Results
Jacob’s peers and independent rating organizations have recognized his criminal defense work every year since 2019. After six straight years as a Super Lawyers Texas – Rising Star (2020 – 2025), Jacob advanced to the Super Lawyers Texas list in 2026.
2026
Super Lawyers Texas – Criminal Defense (advanced from Rising Star)
2025 – 2026
The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 – Criminal Defense
2020 – 2025
Super Lawyers Texas Rising Star – Criminal Defense
2019 – 2024
The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 – Criminal Defense
2021
American Institute of Trial Attorneys – Best Law Firm
2016
Bob Black Bar Leaders Award, Texas Tech University School of Law
Notable Criminal Defense Results
Jacob has won murder and capital murder jury trials in Texas state court, a federal jury acquittal in Lubbock and a Fifth Circuit reversal on Fourth Amendment grounds.
| Case | Court | Charge | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| State v. Matthew Haynes | Taylor County jury trial | First-degree murder | Not guilty after a seven-day trial |
| State v. Damian Cate | 42nd District Court, Taylor County | Capital murder | Not guilty |
| Capital murder reduced to probation | 42nd District Court, Taylor County | Capital murder | Reduced to aggravated assault with probation |
| Murder: Not Guilty | Taylor County jury trial | First-degree murder | Not guilty of murder; 18 years on manslaughter instead of the life sentence the State sought |
| United States v. Donaldson | U.S. District Court, Lubbock | Felon in possession of a firearm | Not guilty by federal jury |
| United States v. Monsivais | U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit | Firearm possession | Suppression denial reversed; conviction and sentence vacated |
Every case is different. Outcomes depend on the facts and law involved, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Critical Legal Window
A Heart for Justice and Mercy
Jacob grew up in a working-class family in southeast Texas; his father owned and operated a home remodeling company. Raised as a Christian, he started college expecting to go into ministry. After two years, he decided his calling to help others fit best in the courtroom, defending people and fighting for them after conviction.
That sense of purpose still drives his work. He is a founding and managing partner of Blizzard & Zimmerman Attorneys in Abilene. He has also helped trained the next generation of lawyers as an adjunct professor at Trinity Law School of Trinity International University.
In the community, Jacob serves as a board member and secretary for West Texas Veteran Support Services.
Education, Experience and Involvement
Education
- Doctor of Jurisprudence, cum laude, Texas Tech University School of Law, 2010 – American Jurisprudence Awards in Civil Rights Law, Business Entities, and Supreme Court Seminar
- Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Economics, University of Houston, 2007
- Undergraduate coursework, Howard Payne University
Publications
- Blizzard, Jacob A., Where Have All the Taxes Gone: Creating and Administering a Working Education System Through Universal Vouchers,13 Tex. Tech Admin. L.J. 209 (2012)
- Blizzard, Jacob A., More Party Talk: Answers to Everyday Legal Questions for Texas Lawyers, State Bar of Texas (2016)
Selected continuing legal education
- Non-Capital Habeas Conference, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Defender Services (2023)
- Motions for New Trial and State Writs of Habeas Corpus (2021)
- False Evidence Claims, Brady and Other Ethical Issues (2021)
- Annual Federal Criminal Practice Seminar (2020)
- Robert O. Dawson Conference on Criminal Appeals (2018)
- Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Course (2012, 2018)
- Handling Your First (or Next) Wrongful Conviction (2017)
- Exceptional Oral Arguments: Tips and Techniques (2017)
Legal experience
- Founding and Managing Partner, Blizzard & Zimmerman Attorneys, Abilene
- Solo practitioner, The Blizzard Law Firm, Abilene
- Managing Partner, Parker & Blizzard, P.L.L.C., Abilene
- Attorney, insurance defense firm representing national insurance companies
- Adjunct Professor, Trinity Law School, Trinity International University
- Early-career work with the City of Lubbock, the Texas Attorney General Child Support Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas.
Bar leadership and memberships
- Big Country Criminal Defense Lawyers Association – President (2019, 2020), Vice President (2015 – 2018), Treasurer (2014)
- Abilene Young Lawyers Association – President (2015)
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association – Member
- West Texas Veteran Support Services – Board Member and Secretary
Faq’s
Frequently Asked Questions
Jacob is board certified in Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and in Criminal Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. As of 2019, only 87 Texas lawyers held both TBLS criminal certifications.
Yes. Jacob defends clients charged with state and federal crimes at trial, and he handles direct appeals, petitions for discretionary review, 11.07 writs of habeas corpus and federal habeas petitions after a conviction.
Yes. He is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. He has won federal jury trials in the Abilene, San Angelo and Lubbock divisions.
Jacob is one of two lawyers in Texas’s Seventh Administrative Judicial Region qualified for appointment as lead appellate counsel in death penalty cases.
Yes. Jacob practices from Blizzard & Zimmerman’s offices at 1174 North 3rd Street in Abilene and represents criminal defense and post-conviction clients across Texas.
Yes. Several. Taylor County juries have found his clients not guilty of first-degree murder and of capital murder. He has also won a federal jury acquittal in Lubbock and a Fifth Circuit reversal that vacated a client’s federal conviction.
Talk to a Us
Talk With Jacob About Your Case
Criminal charges and appeal deadlines move fast, and waiting can limit your options. If you or a family member is facing charges or has been convicted in Texas state or federal court, contact Blizzard & Zimmerman Attorneys to request a case review.
Request a Free Case Review · Call (325) 252-6064 · contact@blizzardlawfirm.com
Board Certified, Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law – Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Board Certified, Criminal Trial Law – National Board of Trial Advocacy. Principal office: Abilene, Texas.