Legal change often begins with a single question about whether established procedures truly meet constitutional standards. Gregory Allen Willis has built his career around asking those questions in the context of DUI prosecutions. Through persistent appellate advocacy and a detailed understanding of forensic science, he has influenced how Georgia courts interpret chemical testing, implied consent, and the constitutional rights of individuals accused of impaired driving.
Gregory Allen Willis was born on July 9, 1970, in Richmond, Virginia. He pursued higher education at the University of Virginia, earning a Bachelor of Science in Commerce in 1992. His academic training emphasized careful analysis and disciplined reasoning, skills that later shaped his approach to litigation. He continued his education at the University of Georgia School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1996. These formative years established the intellectual framework that would guide his work in appellate courts.
A defining feature of Willis’s professional development has been his commitment to understanding the science behind DUI enforcement. He completed specialized training in standardized field sobriety testing, chemical breath testing, drug recognition evaluation, forensic blood testing, forensic urine testing, and gas chromatography. He is also certified to operate the Intoxilyzer 5000, a breath testing device formerly used by law enforcement in Georgia. This combination of legal and scientific education allows him to evaluate DUI evidence with technical precision rather than relying solely on courtroom argument.
After being admitted to the State Bar of Georgia, Willis directed his practice toward DUI defense, concentrating especially on appellate advocacy and constitutional litigation. His work frequently examines whether testing procedures and statutory warnings comply with constitutional protections. By focusing on appellate review, he has sought to address broader legal principles that affect not only individual defendants but also the structure of DUI enforcement itself.
Willis is associated with the Willis Law Firm, a Georgia based criminal defense firm dedicated to DUI cases. Through this practice, he has handled complex matters involving breath, blood, and urine testing, as well as challenges to the administration and reliability of field sobriety tests. His approach reflects a consistent effort to ensure that scientific evidence presented in court is both legally admissible and scientifically sound.
In 2019, Willis argued Elliott v. State before the Georgia Supreme Court, a case that would become a significant development in DUI law. The Court held that Georgia’s implied consent notice, as written at that time, was unconstitutional. As a result, breath test refusal evidence was excluded under the existing framework, and the ruling affected the admissibility of breath test results in thousands of cases statewide. The decision drew attention within the legal community and marked a turning point in how implied consent was interpreted.
The impact of Elliott extended further in January 2022 when the Georgia Supreme Court applied similar constitutional reasoning to urine testing. This extension clarified the legal standards governing chemical testing in DUI prosecutions and reinforced the requirement that statutory procedures align with constitutional protections. Together, these decisions illustrate how appellate advocacy can shape the future direction of criminal law.
Over the course of his career, Willis has been involved in more than 110 published appellate decisions at the state and national levels. He has argued cases before the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States. This record reflects sustained engagement with complex legal questions and a consistent presence in courts that define precedent.
Willis has also faced matters related to professional conduct. In In re Willis, decided by the Georgia Court of Appeals, he was held in contempt of court and briefly jailed after declining to proceed with a DUI trial when a motion for continuance was denied. His refusal was grounded in his defense of his client’s interests. Following this event, the DUI Defense Lawyers Association recognized his commitment by presenting him with the BadAss Lawyer Award. He also went on to receive the Samurai Lawyer Award from Georgia Defense of Drinking Driver’s Group.
In addition to courtroom advocacy, Willis has pursued continued legal education at an advanced level. He completed the National College of DUI Defense’s Mastering Scientific Evidence program, further strengthening his expertise in forensic matters. His professional affiliations include the DUI Defense Lawyers Association, National DUI Defense Lawyers Association, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, National College of DUI Defense, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Atlanta Bar Association, North Fulton Bar Association, National Trial Lawyers, and the Georgia Defense of Drinking Drivers Network.
Recognition from the legal community has followed his work. Willis has been selected as a Super Lawyers honoree in DUI defense from 2014 through 2026. He has received Georgia President’s Awards from the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in 2023 and 2025, Clients’ Choice Awards from Avvo in 2015 and 2025, and the Lee Sexton Strike Force Soldier Award in 2024. He has also been recognized as Atlanta’s Best Defense Law Firm from 2023 through 2025 and has received Lawyer of the Year and Appellate Lawyer of the Year honors from the Georgia Defense of Drinking Drivers Group. His Avvo rating remains at 10.0 Superb.
Willis is a frequent speaker at national and regional conferences, addressing DUI appeals and forensic evidence. From 1999 through 2025, he has presented for organizations including the DUI Defense Lawyers Association, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Defense of Drinking Drivers Institute, and ICLE Georgia. His appellate work and constitutional challenges have been discussed in legal and general news outlets, particularly after major decisions of the Georgia Supreme Court.
Through consistent advocacy, technical knowledge, and a focus on constitutional limits, Gregory Allen Willis has contributed to an evolving understanding of DUI law. His career demonstrates how sustained engagement with appellate courts can influence the balance between enforcement practices and individual rights, shaping the future of DUI constitutional law in Georgia and beyond.
