Donald R. Strickland is a criminal defense attorney in the Fort Worth office of Dunham & Jones. Most of his caseload is DWI, drug possession, and assault family violence, and he appears primarily in Johnson County, where he lives.
Mr. Strickland came to law after two other careers. He earned a bachelor's degree in pre-law from the University of Texas at Arlington, then worked in public education, teaching grades 4 through 6 and later serving as principal of Harmony Science Academy in Fort Worth. A full scholarship took him to Texas Christian University, where he earned a Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School in 2018, and he served as an ordained minister in Fort Worth with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, counseling people through personal crises.
He earned his Juris Doctor from UNT Dallas College of Law, focusing his studies on criminal law and criminal procedure, and interned with the Dallas County Public Defender's Office in the summer of 2024, working on indigent defense cases. He was licensed in Texas in 2026, and he completed mediator training and certification through the University of North Texas in October 2025.
His years in ministry, crisis counseling, and mediation shape how Mr. Strickland works with clients, and they give him practical experience in the negotiation and resolution many cases require. He does criminal defense because it is one of the few bulwarks against the abuse of government power, and because criminal lawyers stand on the front lines protecting civil rights.
Mr. Strickland is a member of the Johnson County Bar Association and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Outside of work, he owns a horse rescue farm.
Donald R. Strickland
Criminal Defense Attorney - Dunham & Jones
UNT Dallas College of Law | University of Texas at Arlington
Former Minister and School Principal | Certified Mediator
Donald R. Strickland, Attorney at Law
Mr. Strickland came to law after two other careers. He earned a bachelor's degree in pre-law from the University of Texas at Arlington, then worked in public education, teaching grades 4 through 6 and later serving as principal of Harmony Science Academy in Fort Worth. A full scholarship took him to Texas Christian University, where he earned a Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School in 2018, and he served as an ordained minister in Fort Worth with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, counseling people through personal crises.
He earned his Juris Doctor from UNT Dallas College of Law, focusing his studies on criminal law and criminal procedure, and interned with the Dallas County Public Defender's Office in the summer of 2024, working on indigent defense cases. He was licensed in Texas in 2026, and he completed mediator training and certification through the University of North Texas in October 2025.
His years in ministry, crisis counseling, and mediation shape how Mr. Strickland works with clients, and they give him practical experience in the negotiation and resolution many cases require. He does criminal defense because it is one of the few bulwarks against the abuse of government power, and because criminal lawyers stand on the front lines protecting civil rights.
Mr. Strickland is a member of the Johnson County Bar Association and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Outside of work, he owns a horse rescue farm.
Donald R. Strickland
Criminal Defense Attorney - Dunham & Jones
UNT Dallas College of Law | University of Texas at Arlington
Former Minister and School Principal | Certified Mediator
Donald R. Strickland, Attorney at Law
Dunham & Jones, Attorneys at Law, P.C.
1110 E Weatherford St
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Fort Worth, TX 76102
817-888-8888
Bar Admissions
Memberships, Honors, and Awards
- Johnson County Bar Association, Member
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Member
- Mediator Training and Certification, University of North Texas (2025)
Past Employment
- Intern, Dallas County Public Defender's Office, 2024
- Ordained Minister, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Fort Worth
- Principal, Harmony Science Academy, Fort Worth
- Teacher, grades 4-6, public education