About Robert
Comprehensive legal support for complex cases
Robert van der Vijver
DISCOVERY · RESEARCH · ANALYSIS — VDVLAW.NET
Robert van der Vijver was born in the Netherlands and has made his home in the Sierra Nevada foothills of El Dorado County for three decades.
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He has been self employed since 1998, built and run his own business, led volunteer work with nonprofit organizations in leadership roles, and spent more than twenty years doing legal support work in one form or another. That work began when his late wife, a well respected criminal defense attorney, asked him to manage her office and work alongside her on her cases. It turned out to be a natural fit. He loved the work, developed a deep respect for what attorneys do, and never really stopped.
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Along the way he also spent thirty years making wine, which taught him things that turned out to be surprisingly transferable. Patience. Scientific curiosity. The habit of paying close attention to things that are easy to rush past.
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He is fluent in English and Dutch and proficient in French and German. He raises his son Sascha in Somerset, tends his vineyard, and tries to approach his work the same way he approaches most things in life. Carefully, honestly, and without shortcuts.
Background & Experience
The foundation of VdVLaw. Systematic review of jail calls, recorded interviews, body worn camera footage, surveillance video, autopsy and crime scene photos, and multi-part discovery documents spanning thousands of pages. Each engagement is returned as an indexed, timestamped, attorney-ready work product. Capable of handling large volume multi-defendant cases with complex evidentiary records. Discreet, reliable, and invested in your client's outcome.
Private Criminal Defense Support
DISCOVERY AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
Justice Involved Reentry Research
JIRI POLICY AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Conducted in depth research for a private contractor supporting state level reentry planning. Analysis focused on JIRI frameworks, county software needs, and the October 2026 medical claim mandate. Findings contributed directly to formal proposals submitted to the state.
Medical and Mental Health File Review
CLINICAL RECORD ANALYSIS
Review of mental health and medical records to identify mitigating factors, strengthen defense strategies, and support active criminal cases, prison related matters, and family law cases with criminal crossover including dependency, domestic violence, and custody matters involving criminal history.
California Legislative Analysis
RESEARCH, DRAFTING AND TRAINING
Deep research into California law, regulatory frameworks, and legislative history. Work product includes policy summaries, cited findings, use case development, and training delivery for legal professionals and organizations.
SOMERSET, - EL DORADO COUNTY
Rooted in the hills.
Working for you statewide.
Based in the rolling hills of Fair Play Wine Country in El Dorado County. The same quiet focus that shapes careful legal work shapes everything here too.