Keith A. Belzer

Criminal Defense Attorney

Your life is worth defending. Keith Belzer has spent his career proving so, in courtrooms across the country and cases that changed lives. Three wrongfully convicted clients. Three exonerations. A Super Lawyer since 2005, and a storyteller who has trained defense lawyers across all 50 states.

 

Your case is next.
This is who you call when the stakes could not be higher.

Keith A. Belzer

Keith A. Belzer

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Wisconsin's Top Recognized Trial Attorney.

When everything is on the line, you want the attorney who has seen it all. And won.

“Every case is a story waiting to be told. You deserve a defense that blends legal mastery with the power of storytelling—to fight for the truth, protect your future, and deliver real justice.”

~ Keith A. Belzer

Aaron A. Nelson Super Lawyer 15 years badge

Nelson Defense Group is the shield that protects you –
giving voice to your story when it matters most.

Keith taking with lawyers Emma and Mac at Nelson Defense Group.
Keith talking to Liesl in the Nelson Defense Group library.

About Keith A. Belzer

BIO

Keith Belzer is a nationally recognized criminal defense attorney, renowned for his expertise in trial advocacy and his dedication to defending the rights of individuals accused of serious crimes. His career blends courtroom excellence, national teaching influence, and a creative background that fuels his compelling storytelling in the courtroom.

 

Professional Recognition and Teaching


 

  • Nationally known lecturer and teacher on criminal defense topics, trial techniques, and strategies


  • Faculty member at the National Criminal Defense College in Macon, Georgia, the Wisconsin Trial Skills Academy, and Oregon Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Eugene, Oregon. 

  • Has taught or lectured criminal defense lawyers in most of the 50 states


  • Presented internationally to the Israeli National Public Defender, the Puerto Rican CJA Panel, and as a keynote speaker at the first-ever regional public defender training in the People’s Republic of China


  • Named a Wisconsin Super Lawyer every year since the award’s inception in 2005


  • Received the “Leaders in the Law” award from the Wisconsin Law Journal in 2006


Notable Cases and Media Appearances


 

  • Frequently appears as a legal commentator on national, state, and local issues, including on shows like 48 Hours, Good Morning America, Crime Scene Investigation, The O’Reilly Factor, and Geraldo at Large

  • Successfully represented three Wisconsin Innocence Project clients who were ultimately exonerated, including Evan Zimmerman, whose retrial and exoneration were the focus of the documentary Facing Life: The Retrial of Evan Zimmerman, aired on the Arts and Entertainment Network and the History Channel.

 

Creative Background


 

  • Brings a unique perspective to trial work from a background in theater as an actor, director, and playwright


  • Has performed in Illinois, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Connecticut


  • Authored plays produced in California, Illinois, Connecticut, and Wisconsin


  • Before law school, co-founded one theater company, managed two others, and spent nearly a decade devoted exclusively to theater

 

Keith’s work is grounded in the conviction that every person has a story worth defending and a right to justice, no matter the odds.

 

AWARDS

Advocates Prize: Martin Hanson Memorial

2001 - Eau Claire

2004 - Vernon 

2009 - Dane

Kuchler-Nicholson-Stilling Sensitive Crimes Award

EDUCATION

Loyola Law School of Chicago - JD

 

Knox College

Keith taking through case notes for a trial.

We don’t just defend cases,
we defend people.

Aaron A. Nelson and his team focuses on the following practice areas and is available throughout the state of Wisconsin.