2020 Legal Elite: Criminal Law

James Abrenio
Abrenio Law
Fairfax

John D. Adams
McGuireWoods
Richmond

Anthony F. Anderson
Anderson & Friedman
Roanoke

R. Penn Bain
Sevila, Saunders, Huddleston & White PC
Leesburg

Jason A. Barlow
Pender & Coward PC
Chesapeake

Peter B. Baruch
Parcell Webb & Baruch PC
Richmond

David P. Baugh
David P. Baugh Esq. PLC
Richmond

Steve Benjamin
Benjamin & DesPortes PC
Richmond

Patrick M. Blanch
Zinicola, Blanch, Overand & Hart PLLC
Fairfax

Bruce Michael Blanchard
Odin, Feldman & Pittleman PC
Reston

Thomas J. Bondurant Jr.
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Roanoke

David G. Boyce
Sands Anderson PC
Richmond

Marc A. Boyko
BoykoNapier PLLC
Richmond

Christopher Bradshaw
The Bradshaw Law Group PC
Richmond

James O. Broccoletti
Zoby, Broccoletti & Normile PC
Norfolk

Ted Bruns
Blackburn, Conte, Schilling & Click PC
Richmond

Craig S. Cooley
Cooley PLC
Richmond

Richard Cullen
McGuireWoods
Richmond

William J. Dinkin
The Attorneys at Shockoe Slip
Richmond

Anna K. Dvorchik
The Law Office of Anna K. Dvorchik PLLC
Fairfax

John Palmer Fishwick Jr.
Fishwick & Associates PLC
Roanoke

Peter Greenspun
Greenspun Shapiro PC
Fairfax

Brendan Harold
Harold Law Firm
Fairfax

Carly Jehlen Hart
Zinicola, Blanch, Overand & Hart PLLC
Fairfax

John C. Holloran
The Law Offices of John C. Holloran, Esq.
Harrisonburg

Michael HuYoung
Barnes & Diehl PC
Richmond

Christian Jurgensen
May Law LLP
Fairfax

Matthew B. Kapuscinski
Odin, Feldman & Pittleman PC
Reston

Trey Kelleter
KelleterLaw PC
Norfolk

Patrick J. Kenney
Law Office of Patrick J. Kenney PLC
Roanoke

Michael LaFratta
LaFratta Law
Richmond

John Gregory LaFratta
Main Street Law Office
Richmond

Brian Latuga
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

Christie A. Leary
Leary Law PC
Fairfax

Jamilah D. LeCruise
The Law Office of J. D. LeCruise PLLC
Norfolk

Manuel E. Leiva
The Leiva Law Firm PLC
Fairfax

John Eric Lichtenstein
Lichtenstein Law Group PLC
Roanoke

G. Manoli Loupassi
Law Office of G. Manoli Loupassi LLC
Richmond

Lana M. Manitta
The Law Office of Lana Manitta PLLC
Purcellville

Marina Medvin
Medvin Law PLC
Alexandria

Robert Gray Morecock
Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward PC
Virginia Beach

Emily Meyers Munn
Emily M. Munn PC
Norfolk

Stephen A. Mutnick
Winslow & McCurry PLLC
Midlothian

George Neskis
Decker, Cardon, Thomas, Weintraub & Neskis PC
Norfolk

Thomas K. Norment Jr.
Kaufman & Canoles PC
Williamsburg

Patrick H. O’Donnell
Kaufman & Canoles PC
Norfolk

Jeffrey G. Overand
Zinicola Blanch Overand & Hart PLLC
Fairfax

Stephen P. Pfeiffer
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

Karin Riley Porter
Price Benowitz LLP
Fairfax

W. Davis Powell
Byrne Legal Group
Richmond

Jayant V. Prabhu
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia
Alexandria

Michael T. Pritchard
Hogan & Pritchard PLLC
Fairfax

Rhonda Quagliana
MichieHamlett Attorneys at Law
Roanoke

Doug Ramseur
The Ram Law Firm PLLC
Richmond

W. Edward Riley IV
Riley & Wells Attorneys at Law
Richmond

Michael A. Robusto
Slipow, Robusto & Kellam PC
Virginia Beach

Andrew M. Sacks
Sacks & Sacks PC
Norfolk

Brandon M. Santos
McGuireWoods
Richmond

Richard D. Scott
The Law Office of Richard D. Scott
Roanoke

Cullen D. Seltzer
Sands Anderson PC
Richmond

Gregory R. Sheldon
Bain Sheldon PLC
Richmond

David E. Sher
Sher, Cummings & Ellis
Arlington

Larry B. Slipow
Slipow, Robusto and Kellam PC
Virginia Beach

David Smith
BrownGreer PLC
Richmond

Taylor B. Stone
Janus & Stone PC
Richmond

Franklin Swartz
Swartz, Taliaferro, Swartz & Goodove PC
Norfolk

Jeffrey A. Swartz
Swartz, Taliaferro, Swartz & Goodove PC
Norfolk

Anthony F. Troy
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC
Richmond

Libbey Van Pelt
Blankingship & Keith PC
Fairfax

John S. West
Troutman Pepper
Richmond

Lawrence H. Woodward Jr.
Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward PC
Virginia Beach

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Jamilah D. LeCruise
The Law Office of J.D. LeCruise PLLC, Norfolk

Title: Attorney/owner
Other legal specialties: Therapeutic dockets, including drug court and mental health court
Birthplace: Alexandria
Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of Richmond; law degree, William & Mary
First job as a lawyer: Magistrate attorney
Fan of: Early voting
Recently read book: “Let’s Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice,” by Paul Butler
Hobbies or pastimes: Painting, movies, gym
Favorite vacation spot: Toronto
Career mentors: William T. Mason Jr., Tameeka M. Williams, the Hon. Robert F. Hagans Jr., David P. Baugh
Why did you decide to open your own practice?
I thoroughly enjoyed my work at the Norfolk public defender’s office. I liked representing individual clients, many of whom were in serious need of effective advocacy and had prior bad experiences with court-appointed counsel. I was glad that I could change minds and instill more faith in the public defender system. I handled more than 800 cases. I intended to open my own practice 10 years out of law school. I had the opportunity to do so at age 29 when I took over another attorney’s practice as he became a judge. I have been in solo practice for five years.
What’s been your most interesting case?
I represented an elderly woman charged with 20 felonies. Once I reviewed the evidence, it was clear that she had been the victim of fraud. With the help of an investigator, we were able to lay out the case for the prosecutor and convince her to withdraw the charges against my client. It is always rewarding to represent clients and see them in the community doing well.