Rob Cañas is a former criminal court judge who has been practicing law for over twenty years. As a judge for almost twelve years, he had a reputation for being tough and fair. He presided over high-profile cases such as the assault cases against Heisman-Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and NFL superstar Dez Bryant. Rob gained a national reputation for the way he handled his cases and he gained the respect of both prosecutors and defense attorneys for his fairness, knowledge of the law, and work ethic.

Now, Rob handles both criminal and family law matters. He will represent his clients with the same toughness he exhibited as a judge and use his experience and reputation to get results for them. Examples of the types of criminal cases Rob handles include: Driving while intoxicated (DWI), self-defense claims, drug possession, theft and property crimes, violent offenses, white collar, fraud, embezzlement, government investigations, conspiracy, firearm offenses, probation violations, expunctions, petitions for non-disclosure, appeals and writs of habeas corpus. Rob also handles criminal appeals including writs of habeas corpus. In addition, Rob handles all matters related to families including complex divorces, property and asset division, contested child custody, post-divorce modifications and orders of protection.

Rob graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law with honors in 1997. He immediately went to work for the firm of HaynesBoone LLP in their Dallas office where he handled a variety of cases involving deceptive trade practices, price-fixing and fraud. In 1999, wanting more courtroom and trial experience, he joined the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. After four months with the DA’s office, Rob was promoted to Chief Prosecutor over two misdemeanor courts. Within a year, he was promoted to the felony trial division. During his eight years with the DA’s office, Rob tried nearly 150 cases to a jury for almost every type of crime.

In 2006, the people of Dallas County elected Rob to preside as a judge over County Criminal Court #10. This court was a dedicated domestic violence court that disposed about 3,000 cases annually. Rob worked to make his court one of the best domestic violence courts in the country. In 2013, his court was one of only three in the whole country, to receive the Domestic Violence Mentor Court designation from the U.S. Department of Justice. This means that his court exhibited best practices on how to handle domestic violence cases. This designation remained in place until Rob left the court in 2018.

Currently, Rob is an attorney at Lisa E. McKnight PC in Dallas. Rob brings his trial and litigation experience, his professionalism, and his record of achievement to a firm of very talented lawyers.