When you first meet an attorney, you want to know more than their degrees and courtroom stats. You want to know what drives them, how they think, and whether they will listen when your life feels turned upside down. That is exactly what comes through when Daniel K. Hilbert sits down in front of the camera to talk about his path to criminal defense & civil trial work at Canan Law.
From Crime Shows & Books To The Courtroom
In the video, Dan starts with a simple introduction: “Hey, my name is Dan Hilbert. I'm a criminal defense and civil litigator at Canan Law.” From there, he takes us back to where it began. He talks about growing up loving to read, while his mom watched crime shows, and how those pieces slowly came together.
He explains that he did not set out as a kid to become a lawyer. Instead, his interest grew over time: as he went through college, that mix of storytelling, problem-solving, and those crime shows at home turned into a real curiosity about the law. By the time he finished his philosophy degree at Westminster College and moved from St. Louis to Jacksonville for law school at Florida Coastal School of Law, he knew he wanted to spend his career in the courtroom.
During law school, that interest turned into action. He joined the Mock Trial Team, earned the Best Advocate award in 2006, graduated in the top twenty percent of his class, and received the Humanitarian Award at graduation. Those early experiences set the tone for the kind of lawyer he would become: someone who fights hard in court while staying grounded in service to others.
A First Love For Criminal Law & Justice
In the video, Dan describes how he first saw his future: “So then I go to law school and I'm like, well, I'm going to be a prosecutor, you know? I felt like that's what I want to do. I've got this sense of justice and a love for the law.” That sense of justice led him straight into the State Attorney’s Office after he graduated in 2006.
He began his career as an Assistant State Attorney, working in both the Fourth Judicial Circuit and the Seventh Judicial Circuit. He prosecuted cases in Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Putnam, and Flagler Counties, trying over 30 jury trials. Those trials involved serious charges, including attempted murder, sexual battery, armed robbery, arson, and trafficking in narcotics.
“My first love was criminal law,” he says in the video, and his record backs that up. In August 2016, he earned Board Certification in Criminal Trial Law from The Florida Bar. The Florida Supreme Court established this program to help clients identify attorneys who have met rigorous standards in specific areas of law, and as of 2016, only a small percentage of eligible Florida Bar members had achieved board certification in their respective fields.
Always Moving Forward & Looking For The Right Fit
One of the most revealing moments in the video comes when Dan talks about how he views his own career. “Throughout my career… I've always felt like I've had to have upward momentum,” he explains. “No, it doesn't mean you don't have steps back, right? But I want to be progressing.”
That mindset led him to a major change in 2010. After several years in the State Attorney’s Office, he decided to enter private practice so he could use his trial experience to help people all over Northeast Florida. Since then, he has taken dozens more criminal, civil, and family law cases to trial in St. Johns County and the surrounding counties.
In the video, he talks candidly about reaching a point where he felt he had stagnated in private practice and needed a new challenge. He researched the firms around him and took a close look at Canan Law. He already knew founding attorney Patrick Canan, but he still dug deeper. Then he picked up the phone.
“I called him and I said, hey, I think this is where I want to be. I think this is the premier litigation firm in town, and I want to be part of that.” That choice reflects both his drive to keep growing as a trial lawyer and his respect for working with a team that lives in the courtroom.
A Household Of Service & A Life In The Law
Dan’s approach to clients and cases ties back to how he grew up. “I grew up in a household of service where my mom was constantly trying to do better for our community,” he shares. That idea of stepping up and getting involved shows up in the way he talks about the role of a lawyer: “Lawyers… at the end of the day, what we are… it all comes down to trying to serve something and help somebody.”
He lives that philosophy both inside and outside the courtroom. Alongside his work at Canan Law, he has invested heavily in teaching and leadership within the legal community. Since 2013, he has taught Civil Litigation at Florida State College at Jacksonville as an adjunct professor. In 2017, he joined Flagler College as an Adjunct Professor of Law, teaching “Legal Environment of Business.”
His peers also turn to him for guidance. The Florida Bar’s Young Lawyers Division invited him to present to other attorneys on criminal procedure in May 2017 and on hearsay & character evidence in criminal trials in December 2017.
He remains active in professional organizations, including the St. Johns County Bar Association, where he serves in leadership roles, the Florida Bar Unlicensed Practice of Law Board, the Putnam County Bar Association, and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. His community involvement extends beyond the legal world as well, through service with the Rotary Club of St. Augustine, the St. Augustine Police Department Retirement Fund, the St. Johns County Sports Club, and the Fraternal Order of the Elks.
Client Goals, Real Conversations & Trial-Ready Representation
For all of his courtroom experience and teaching roles, one of the most memorable parts of the video comes when he describes how he starts with a new client. “When we get a new case in and we're trying to figure out what the next steps are, I frequently ask, what's your goal?” he says. “And I tell them, my goal is your goal. I need to know, at the end of the day, what is your goal? Because that's why you're here.”
That approach matches how we work as a team at Canan Law. We do not start with a one-size-fits-all plan. We listen first, then build a strategy that fits the client’s goals, facts, and risks. Dan’s trial background in criminal, personal injury, and civil litigation matters gives him a strong foundation to do that work.
His current practice reflects that blend of focus areas:
- 60% criminal trial law
- 20% personal injury
- 20% civil trial law
He brings that experience into every case, whether he stands up for someone facing criminal charges, an injured person seeking compensation in a personal injury claim, or a party in a civil dispute that may go before a jury.
“You've got to put the client first to do the job correctly, so that everything else will take care of itself,” he says. That simple line captures how he views his role: not just as a litigator, but as someone who helps clients move forward in some of the hardest moments of their lives.
Teaching, Leadership & A Long-Term Commitment To Northeast Florida
Dan’s story in the video sits on top of a long-term commitment to this community. He moved to Florida for law school in Jacksonville and built his entire legal career in Northeast Florida. He has practiced in state courts across the region and holds admission to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
His peers have recognized his work through honors such as Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star in family law (2016) and personal injury law (2017). Combined with his board certification in Criminal Trial Law, these achievements show a career built around consistent trial work and continued growth.
In leadership roles with local bar associations, in the classroom with students at Florida State College at Jacksonville and Flagler College, and in community organizations across St. Augustine and surrounding areas, he follows the advice he credits to his mom in the video: “If you want something to be better, you got to get involved. You got to impact it yourself.”
Getting To Know Dan Before You Walk Through The Door
Choosing a lawyer often starts with a search, a website visit, or a referral from a friend. But trust grows when you feel like you know the person who will stand beside you in court or across the negotiation table. Dan’s video offers that first introduction.
You hear how crime shows & books nudged him toward the law, how a sense of justice led him into the State Attorney’s Office, how a drive for “upward momentum” brought him to Canan Law, and how a childhood in a household of service shaped the way he now serves clients and the community.
If your legal matter involves the possibility of trial, his background in criminal, personal injury, and civil litigation work, combined with his client-first mindset, makes him a strong part of the team you meet when you call (904) 849-2266. Watching his bio video is a simple way to put a face, a voice, and a story to the name you may see on your pleadings or hear announced in the courtroom.
We invite you to watch, listen, and get to know Dan. When you decide to move forward with Canan Law, you will not just see a résumé – you will recognize the person who already told you, in his own words, “My goal is your goal.”