About Phil Israels

Phil Israels was raised in California’s Central Valley where he still has family. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley where he was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and studied Economics, he continued his education at the University of San Francisco, School of Law where he received the prestigious American Jurisprudence Award.

Upon graduating in 1975 and passing the bar on his first attempt, he was hired by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, where he worked for almost four years as a prosecutor gaining extensive trial experience. Since 1979, he has been a criminal defense attorney. He sees his role as the protector of the accused. However, his prosecutorial experience has helped him understand the mindset of his adversaries both in the trial court and in negotiations.

Mr. Israels has been named “Super Lawyer” by the Los Angeles Magazine, an honor which he has received several times. He is often referred to cases by Judges, other attorneys, prosecutors, and previous clients. In 2008 he was joined in his practice by his nephew, Sam Israels, also a former prosecutor with extensive trial experience and many contacts in the criminal courts. His clients appreciate the team approach and are happy to know that they can rely both on Phil and Sam when the need arises. In his spare time, he enjoys sports including skiing, swimming, and softball.