Meet Us

The Blue Binder Project Story

My name is MacDaniel Reynolds. I am one of the founders of Blue Binder Project, and the author of the curriculum. They say there is no substitute for experience, and I agree. My DUI experience started much like yours, when I was arrested for a DUI twenty-some years ago. My arrest shook me to my core. I was a good person, but there I was, caught driving impaired. I felt like the whole world was staring at me; that the world was judging me and finding me lacking. My shame ate at me until I faced the same choice you do today – I could give up, or I could rise up – and I chose to rise. I used my window of clarity to see what was important to me, and to figure out what I needed to achieve to get to my own next level. For me, that was education, and one year later I entered law school.

Fast forward to today, eighteen years later. I and the CEO and founder of Reynolds Defense Firm, one of the largest, most respected and successful DUI defense firms in Oregon. Our specialty is simple - we represent good people facing DUI charges. As an attorney, I’ve prosecuted and defended literally thousands of people arrested for DUI. I’ve talked with their families, I’ve learned about their careers, their kids, their hopes and fears. And I’ve learned some of my own truths.

First, I learned that good people don’t get arrested for a DUI when everything is going great. They get arrested because some part of life isn’t working the way they need it to, and then they start to take risks that don’t make sense. Risks like driving after drinking.

Second, I learned that legal victories feel pretty hollow if I don’t actually help people on the human level - help them figure out what isn’t working, and, more importantly, how they can use their own window of clarity to achieve their own next level.

That’s why I created this curriculum in the first place – to help people. And it is more effective than anything else I’ve seen in all my years of working in the DUI world. I’m very passionate about this – we’ve helped so many people use their arrest as an opportunity to do incredible things for themselves. And that’s why we founded Blue Binder Project– we want to be able to help even more people. Good people. People like me. People like you, too.

When you join Blue Binder Project and our community, you get a whole team working for you. Our goal is to make this all work smoothly for you and let you focus on the changes you want to make in your life. From our expert coaches to our administrative staff, we are all here to make sure you have what you need.

I loved the Blue Binder project. It has helped me in ways I didn’t know existed…I think that one of the best things is that I don’t feel like a failure or criminal, just someone who made a bad decision one day of her life. I have the tools to go on and accomplish more with this wonderful life of mine.
– Gala, 65 years old, retired

The law firm that started it all…

To better understand Blue Binder Project, let us share a little about where the concept began – with Reynolds Defense Firm, the Oregon DUI law firm that is changing the way DUI defense lawyers help their clients.
Reynolds Defense Firm’s vision is unique in a criminal defense world that focuses only on legal battles:

Reynolds Defense Firm Vision:
We change people’s lives by helping them understand why they were arrested, and by giving them the tools and encouragement to address the real problems in their lives.

As they say on their website, “It’s not that we view the legal battles as any less important than other firms – we are truly fantastic in the legal arena - we just don’t believe we should stop there. To us, legal victories are pretty hollow if we can’t help folks on the deeper, human level too.”

It is this belief that led MacDaniel Reynolds, founder of Reynolds Defense Firm, to create the Blue Binder Project in the first place – as a way to truly take care of their clients.

Reynolds Defense Firm only accepts DUI cases in Oregon, but regardless of where your arrest occurred, please visit their website, www.reynoldsdefensefirm.com, as a way gain insight into the genuineness and integrity behind the creation of Blue Binder Project.

I have come out of this experience a better person and attribute a large part of that to the Blue Binder Project. I feel I have a renewed sense of purpose and a new set of tools with which to move forward in my life and put this all behind me.

-DIANA, 31-YEAR-OLD REALTY STUDENT

Meet Our Blue Binder Project Coaches

Expertise, knowledge, compassion, respect, even a little humor

When I first joined the Blue Binder Project Team as a coach, I was pleased (and frankly a little surprised) to see a program that was so genuinely supportive to clients struggling with legal issues in a criminal justice system that is not known to be particularly warm and fuzzy. The Blue Binder Coaches approached clients with respect and a belief that everyone can turn a setback into a stepping stone to a better life if they are willing to do the work. The Blue Binder Coaches added a much needed dose of humanity and support that is too often missing in the legal world.

As the Blue Binder Project grew and I became the Blue Binder Project Program Coordinator, I watched as we handpicked our coaches, choosing professionals who are compassionate and understanding and who can also be direct and hold you accountable to the promise you made to yourself to grow from this experience. These coaches aren’t just walking you through a workbook, filling in the blanks and calling it good. These coaches truly believe in the work they are doing, in the change that is possible in this moment of turmoil in your life.
With a combined experience of over 55 years in the coaching and counseling fields, our coaches have the expertise and knowledge to help you make the most of your Blue Binder Project experience. All our coaches are professionals with the expertise to guide and support you through the Blue Binder Project. Our coaches will also help you find the right referrals and resources if you discover more significant barriers you need to overcome. They are compassionate, knowledgeable, non-judgmental and committed to making this a great experience for each and every client.

Derica Waller, MSW, LCSW
Blue Binder Project Program Coordinator