Attorney Dereck Wyatt

JBU is a 1994 graduate of Hanks High School. He was a member of the wrestling team all four years and was a team captain for the 1993-1994 season. He was a two-time regional champion and member of the all-academic team for three straight years.

JBU graduated with honors from Texas Tech University in 1998 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. He was on the Dean's Honor Roll all for years and was employed at the Texas Tech Recreational Center. He's a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society and was invited to become a member of the very prestigious Golden Key National Honor Society. JBU was accepted into the Texas Tech School of Law in the fall of 1998. In the summer of 1999, he received an internship with the El Paso District Attorney's office.

While at Texas Tech Law, JBU was an officer with the Student Bar Association and was a member of the national mock trial team. He also became a member of the distinguished Board of Barristers which conducted competitions for negotiations, mock trials, and moot court events. During his last year of law school, he was elected president of the Texas Tech School of Law's Delta Theta Phi law fraternity by his peers. He also worked as an appellate law clerk for the Lubbock County District Attorney's office while attending law school. JBU graduated from the Texas Tech School of Law in May 2001.

Upon passing Texas Bar Examination in July 2001, JBU returned to El Paso and began his legal career at the El Paso District Attorney's office. While at the DA's office, JBU prosecuted thousands of cases ranging from simple misdemeanors to serious felonies, including murder. He presented cases to Grand Juries and worked with law enforcement agencies in the trial preparation of cases. JBU has served as a special prosecutor for the State of Texas when there were conflicts with the elected DA.

In 2004, JBU left the DA's office to form WyattUnderwood. In 2012, JBU was admitted to the Texas Bar Foundation, an honor bestowed only to the top 1/3 of 1% of Texas attorneys. Every year since 2009, JBU has received a BV rating, they highest a lawyer can receive from Martindale-Hubbell. JBU is a member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He is a member of the El Paso Bar Association, and current Board member of the same. JBU is also a current Board member for Ronald McDonald House Charities in El Paso. JBU was selected by the Mayor of El Paso to serve and currently serves on the TIRZ board for the City of El Paso. He has also served on the Humane Society of El Paso and YMCA of El Paso boards in the past. JBU has written published articles on topics ranging from legal issues to hunting adventures. He has been a featured presenter at Legal Seminars across the United States. He has also lectured at Texas Tech Law School, UTEP, and El Paso Community College.

In 2020, Mr. Underwood was named El Paso's Most Outstanding Lawyer by the El Paso Bar Association. He and his wife have two children and 4 dogs. Mr. Underwood enjoys hunting, playing golf, and spending time outdoors with his family. He is an avid guitarist playing both acoustic and electric. JBU is also an accomplished BBQ Pitmaster and owns a small catering company known as JBUBBQ.