Criminal Defense · Chicago
Top Criminal Defense Lawyers in Chicago
Most criminal cases in Chicago are heard at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on 26th Street or in suburban branch courts. The ranking below weighs verified licences, experience in criminal defense and sourced court records.
- Updated 19 Oct 2026
- Ranking v1.0.0
- How we rank
- lawyers considered
- 35
- 18 verified licences
- 51%
- average years in practice
- 11
The ranking
Score out of 100- 1
Michael Shapiro
VerifiedSenior Associate
Calder Law Group37 yrs in practice3.4(18)Criminal DefenseDivorce - 2
- 3
Hugo Kaplan
VerifiedPartner
Redfern & Ashby LLP15 yrs in practice4.5(13)Criminal DefenseBusinessPersonal InjurySpeaks English, Spanish
- 4
Amara Pemberton
VerifiedAssociate
Redfern & Ashby LLP26 yrs in practice3.5(1)Criminal DefenseFamilyImmigrationSpeaks English, Russian
- 5
Anika Whitaker
VerifiedOf Counsel
Vance & Granger LLP32 yrs in practice4.7(9)Criminal DefenseFamilyImmigration - 6
Chloe Underwood
VerifiedPrincipal Lawyer
36 yrs in practice5.0(2)Criminal DefenseEmploymentEstate Planning - 7
Hiroshi R. Okafor
VerifiedOf Counsel
Sterling & Granger LLP26 yrs in practice4.4(18)Personal InjuryCriminal DefenseFamilySpeaks English, French
- 8
- 9
- 10
Benjamin Lindqvist
VerifiedManaging Partner
Harrow & Granger LLP37 yrs in practice3.4(15)Estate PlanningCriminal DefenseSpeaks English, Mandarin
- 11
Ines A. Ramirez
VerifiedSenior Associate
Vance & Granger LLP4 yrs in practice4.0(4)Criminal DefenseSpeaks English, Vietnamese
- 12
Maria Takahashi
VerifiedOf Counsel
Harrow & Granger LLP12 yrs in practice4.2(7)DivorceCriminal DefenseSpeaks English, Urdu
- 13
Noah Sullivan
VerifiedAssociate
Prescott & Vance LLP14 yrs in practiceDivorceCriminal DefenseSpeaks English, Urdu
- 14
Samuel J. Quinn
VerifiedSenior Associate
Marlow Law Group16 yrs in practice4.8(18)EmploymentBusinessCriminal Defense+1 moreSpeaks English, Portuguese
- 15
Michael A. Lowell
VerifiedFounding Attorney
Sterling & Granger LLP27 yrs in practice3.7(3)ImmigrationCriminal DefenseReal EstateSpeaks English, Vietnamese
- 16
Benjamin Jansen
Out of datePartner
Kensington & Rowe LLP10 yrs in practice4.7(23)Personal InjuryCriminal DefenseReal EstateSpeaks English, Urdu
- 17
Mateo L. Feldman
VerifiedSenior Associate
Vance Law Group15 yrs in practice3.8(2)BusinessChild CustodyCriminal Defense+1 more - 18
Laura Ashford
VerifiedOf Counsel
Sterling Law Group5 yrs in practice5.0(2)Criminal DefenseBusinessImmigration - 19
Patrick Holloway
Out of dateFounding Attorney
Sterling & Granger LLP23 yrs in practiceEstate PlanningCriminal DefenseSpeaks English, Hindi
- 20
Benjamin Moreau
Out of datePartner
Marlow Law Group31 yrs in practice4.2(22)FamilyCriminal DefenseReal EstateSpeaks English, Russian
- 21
Omar Whitaker
UnverifiedOf Counsel
Marlow Law Group11 yrs in practice4.5(1)Criminal DefenseSpeaks English, Vietnamese
- 22
Adaeze Vance
VerifiedPrincipal Lawyer
9 yrs in practice4.6(11)FamilyCriminal DefenseSpeaks English, Tagalog
- 23
- 24
Leila Nakamura
VerifiedPrincipal Lawyer
Vance & Granger LLP3.0(1)FamilyBusinessChild Custody+1 moreSpeaks English, Tagalog
- 25
Michael L. Adeyemi
Out of datePrincipal Lawyer
Marlow Law Group1 yrs in practice4.5(4)Criminal DefenseSpeaks English, Vietnamese
How we rank
Each lawyer gets nine component scores from 0 to 100. The bar shows how many of the 100 available points each component contributed. Weights are fixed for every lawyer in this list and published in full; payment plays no part.
Expertise50%
- Credentials20%
- Relevant experience15%
- Specialization15%
Standing35%
- Verified reputation15%
- Professional recognition10%
- Relevant track record10%
Service & data15%
- Client experience5%
- Profile & data quality5%
- Data freshness5%
Chicago legal resources
- Illinois State Bar Association
Statewide bar association.
- Chicago Bar Association
Lawyer referral service.
- ARDC of the Supreme Court of Illinois
Lawyer registration search and disciplinary records.
Choosing a criminal defense lawyer
Experience in the specific court and with the specific type of charge matters. Ask whether the lawyer has handled trials, not only plea negotiations, and whether they previously worked as a prosecutor or public defender. Contact a lawyer before speaking to investigators.
Frequently asked questions
Should I talk to the police without a lawyer?
You generally have the right to remain silent and to have a lawyer present. It is usually wise to speak to a criminal defense lawyer before giving any statement.
What if I cannot afford a lawyer?
If you are charged with an offence that can lead to imprisonment, you may be entitled to a public defender or legal aid. Ask the court about eligibility.