C. Justin Brown, Esq.

C. Justin Brown, Esq.

C. Justin Brown is an attorney based in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer for the past five years, a “Top-100” attorney in Maryland, and in 2016 the Daily Record named him an “Influential Marylander.” He handles a wide variety of complex cases, from federal criminal defense to civil matters to white collar defense. He has successfully defended white collar and criminal defense clients, and litigated civil rights claims on behalf of plaintiffs. For 10 years he represented Adnan Syed, the subject of the podcast “Serial.”

Some of Mr. Brown’s recent successes include: the suppression of a federal wire tap, several post-conviction victories in U.S. District Court that resulted in vacated sentences, a not-guilty trial verdict in United States v. Dontray Johnson, the granting of coram nobis petitions resulting in vacated convictions, and the negotiation of a deal in a money structuring case allowing the client to avoid prosecution. He has also handled numerous matters in which he was able to convince prosecutors to either not seek criminal charges or drop already existing charges. In one such case, United States v. Brian Parker, federal prosecutors dismissed all charges against Mr. Brown’s client.

Mr. Brown brings a unique background to his law practice. Prior to entering the legal profession, he was an award-winning print journalist who wrote for several national publications, including The New York Times, Newsweek and The Christian Science Monitor. He covered a full range of major news stories, including the war in Kosovo, Yugoslavia. Please click HERE for more about Mr. Brown’s background.

Meet Justin Brown

Education

Mr. Brown went to Gilman high school in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Cornell University in 1992, and went on to Maryland School of Law, where he graduated with honors. While at Maryland Law School, he was an editor on the Maryland Law Review.

Legal Profession

After graduating from law school, Mr. Brown served as a law clerk to United States District Judge Andre M. Davis. In 2010, President Obama nominated Judge Davis to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Davis later that year.

Before starting his own firm, Mr. Brown worked at Nathans & Biddle, a respected white-collar criminal defense firm in Baltimore. At Nathans & Biddle, Mr. Brown’s practice focused on white-collar defense and post-conviction work.

Mr. Brown is admitted to practice in the State of Maryland, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Success

Mr. Brown has been successful litigating in Federal and State court. His victories include: overturning a life sentence in State v. Lloyd Hall; a non-guilty jury verdict in United States v. Johnson, a 360-month sentence reduction in federal court in United States v. Trejo Ruiz; the suppression of a federal wiretap in United States v. Dinkins, et al.; the suppression of illegally obtained evidence in United States v. Glod; and the granting of 2255 post-conviction Motions in United States v. Wallace White, United States v. Gerome Young, United States v. Roger Ramirez-Ramirez, United States v. Randolph Wells, and United States v. Cedric Age. In the summer of 2016 he won a new trial for Adnan Syed, only to have the conviction reinstated two years later.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Maryland State Bar Association
  • Bar Association of Baltimore City
  • Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association
  • National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
    • Editorial Advisory Board of The Champion magazine
  • Baltimore Neighborhoods, Inc., Legal Committee
  • Federal Criminal Justice Act Felony Panel, Member
Legal Publications
  • Article: “Weaver v. Massachusetts: A Violation of the Public-Trial Right Does Not Necessarily Mean Reversal,” published in the July 2017 National Associate of Criminal Defense Lawyers magazine The Champion.
  • Article: “StingRay Devices Usher in a New Fourth Amendment Battleground,” published in the June 2015 National Associate of Criminal Defense Lawyers magazine The Champion.
  • Article: “Why Civilly Committed Sex Offenders Have Been Unable to Claim Their Right to Treatment in the Past, and How They Should Attain It in the Future,” co-authored with W. Lawrence Fitch, published in The Sexual Predator, Vol. 3, from the Civic Research Institute, May 2005.