For Carin Denyce Groh, Esq., the second time around was the charm. She enjoyed her first career as a certified public accountant, a title she will always hold. Yet, she eventually found her true calling as an attorney at law, a desire since childhood. After becoming aware of innocence projects and other concerns within the criminal justice system, she wanted to do much more professionally to help people. Ms. Groh now fulfills her personal purpose as an associate attorney at Goldstein & Orr, a criminal defense law firm in San Antonio, Texas.
Ms. Groh works with people in all stages of criminal conviction at the state and federal levels by assisting individuals already convicted who need to file an appeal and by handling writs of habeas corpus. She enjoys helping the people she defends but says the legal process can be slow and uncertain — a common reason people need an excellent attorney to accompany and encourage them. She believes people must defend their rights under the Constitution or risk losing them. Ms. Groh has taken cases as high as the Supreme Court of the United States to be heard at the last moment.
In 2021, Ms. Groh joined Goldstein & Orr as a law clerk. Before being promoted to associate attorney in 2022, she was admitted to the State Bar of Texas and the bars for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Previously, she owned a small business; was a law clerk at Watts Guerra LLP in San Antonio, Texas; served as a legal research intern for the Office of Police Oversight in Austin, Texas; and was a senior auditor turned supervisor for nearly a decade for the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
According to Ms. Groh, determination, hard work, and learning from her mentors are the keys to her success. She is motivated to continue to become the best criminal defense lawyer possible in the coming years. Unlike many of her colleagues, she has had the opportunity to work on different types of cases, from simple misdemeanors to arguing constitutional issues. She recalls her most memorable achievement as presenting the writ of certiorari before the Supreme Court in Dixon v. the State of Texas. Ms. Groh notes that the case is gaining traction as the Supreme Court has requested Texas to respond to the writ, indicating a possible hearing.
What also separates Ms. Groh is helping juveniles. She believes young people should be educated about their interactions with law enforcement to counter misinformation about their rights. To this end, Ms. Groh teaches youth how to behave to achieve favorable legal outcomes.
Ms. Groh is a member of more than 30 organizations, some of which include the San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Lawyers Guild, the Federal Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the San Antonio Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race and Social Justice, and the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas. She volunteers by offering her services pro bono and by working with the Texas Fair Defense Project. Ms. Groh enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, kayaking, drinking Chinese and Japanese tea, and learning to swing dance in her spare time.
Ms. Groh holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from St. Mary’s University School of Law, a Master of Business Administration from California Polytechnic State University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from the University of La Verne. She also is a certified public accountant in Texas and Florida. Ms. Groh’s academic accolades include winning the Litigation and Advocacy Award for participation in St. Mary’s University School of Law Team of the Year in 2018 and being named an inaugural fellow by the American Bar Association’s Consortium on Police Practice.
Ultimately, Ms. Groh wants to be known as an attorney who helps when most needed. She is willing to roll up her sleeves and contribute however she can while ensuring everyone’s rights are protected and processed appropriately. She advises anyone seeking to join her profession to find their voice, use their talent and eliminate fear.