Justin M. Weatherly Award-Winning Criminal Defense Attorney

"I spent my whole life wanting to be an attorney. Now that I am, I couldn't imagine being anything else. I love my job. I look forwarding to building a personal relationship with my clients and guiding them through whatever turmoil in which they find themselves. I wake up every morning ready to go to work, and I am confident that I have the knowledge, determination and experience to accomplish the goals of all of my clients." 

Justin Weatherly Photo

Justin M. Weatherly

Partner
  • Profile
  • Credentials

Top-Rated Cleveland Criminal Lawyer

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, an adolescent Justin Weatherly was asked at the age of ten what he wanted to be when he grew up. His answer, "I want to be a lawyer." He then spent the remainder of his youth striving toward that goal. In high school Justin excelled in the subjects of history, reading comprehension and persuasive writing. Graduating from one of only a handful of nationally ranked public high schools in all of Ohio, Justin went on to attend the University of Dayton, where his father was a professor with a PhD in communications and taught the art of public speaking for over thirty years.

Highly Qualified & Outstanding Reputation

Attorney Weatherly is a fierce litigator, taking cases to trial that other attorneys have refused. He is believed to be the only attorney in the entire state of Ohio to convince a jury to acquit his client at trial of the charge of Criminal Non-Support, an offense thought to be indefensible. His reputation among his colleagues is so well established that he has been asked to lecture at seminars where the audience consists only of other attorneys hoping to gain from his knowledge and experience.

In 2014 he was named one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers and he has been named to the list of the American Academy of Trial Attorneys Premier 100 Trial Attorneys. In 2017 he was nominated and named a Rising Star. In 2021 he was selected to the Super Lawyer list. This peer designation is awarded only to a select number of accomplished attorneys in each state. Only 5% of attorney's are selected to the Super Lawyer list each year, and Attorney Weatherly has been selected every year since 2021. He is quite simply one of the most experienced and well reputed attorneys in the greater Cleveland area, and he's just getting started.

Awards & Accolades

Associations

  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Criminal Trial Lawyers Association

Education

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, an adolescent Justin Weatherly was asked at the age of ten what he wanted to be when he grew up. His answer, "I want to be a lawyer." Justin went on to attend the University of Dayton, where he focused his studies on classes that would prepare him for his eventual goal of law school. Earning a degree in Political Science in 2001 with a minor in Philosophy, he made sure the subject matter in most of his classes revolved around Supreme Court decisions.

Justin's ambition earned him the honor of getting to be a part of the following programs during college:

  • Serving as a United States Congressional Intern for current Speaker of the House, John A. Boehner.
  • Spending summer breaks as a paid intern at the Washington D.C. branch of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey, one of the five largest law firms in the world.

Such attributes made him a highly sought after law school candidate, and after graduating college, Justin was accepted by one of only two top law schools in Ohio, the Case Western Reserve School of Law right here in Cleveland.

Becoming a Partner at the Firm

A couple of years after graduating with his Juris Doctor, he was approached by his friend and eventual partner, Brandon J. Henderson, Esq., who offered him a new opportunity. Originally working for Brandon, Justin took his experience and work ethic and applied it immediately to the rapidly expanding case load of the small firm. Together the two developed a reputation as formidable defense attorneys and civil litigators, succeeding at trial in more complicated and highly publicized cases. The firm was reestablished as a partnership in 2011 that is now HMW Law.

  • Top 100 Trial Lawyers
  • AATA
  • CTLA
/

Proof of Our Success

Read Our Client Testimonials
  • The service I was given was nothing but the best.

    “This man knows what he is doing by far and is very well respected in the court room!”

    - Adam
  • A beacon of light in the Justice System.

    “My experience with Justin Weatherly was life changing for me.”

    - Chris
  • Very happy with my results.

    “Atty. Weatherly handled my OVI for me - very courteous, very professional & got it dropped down to reckless operation.”

    - Janice H.
  • I would give him & staff A+, plus.

    “All questions I had where answered, always had access through him & office staff.”

    - John
/
Damn Right, We Fight!

We are passionate about what we do, and that drive, coupled with our winning attitude, allows us to move forward with cases at full force. Our Ohio lawyers don't back down from a challenge – no matter how complex it is. We explore every legal option to ensure we leave no stone unturned as we focus on protecting our clients' rights and best interests.

Contact Team HMW Today

Schedule a Free Consultation
  • Please enter your first name.
  • Please enter your last name.
  • Please enter your phone number.
    This isn't a valid phone number.
  • Please enter your email address.
    This isn't a valid email address.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please enter a message.