Associate Criminal Defense Attorney

Ben Hall Law; Michigan; On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary: $85,000-$105,000

Paid time off: 4 weeks annually

Sick leave: 1 week annually

401(k) with 4% match

Health insurance

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Professional development

Job summary

Ben Hall Law in East Lansing seeks an Associate Attorney—Criminal Defense to handle matters from arraignment through trial across Michigan counties, under the team lead. Build a caseload sized to your experience, developing motion and trial skills case by case for greater independence.

This is a performance-driven role where compensation reflects results, not clock hours. The firm values diligent investigation, client advocacy, and principled representation in both criminal defense and potential

Qualifications

• Active Michigan law license in good standing, or eligible to sit for the bar exam before your start date.
• 0-3 years of criminal law experience—prosecutor's office, public defender, judicial clerkship, or private criminal defense practice all count.
• Working knowledge of Michigan criminal procedure, the Michigan Rules of Evidence, and sentencing guidelines scoring, with a genuine willingness to deepen it fast.
• Strong legal writing skills, including the ability to draft a clean motion.
• Comfortable with technology and willing to adapt to new tools, including case management systems and AI.
• Ability to reliably commute to court appearances across assigned counties.
• Genuine alignment with the firm's values: Fun, Accountability, Service, Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence.

Responsibilities

• Represent clients in criminal matters, from arraignment through trial, sentencing, and appeal, under the direction of the team lead.
• Build and manage a caseload sized to your experience, with efficiency and scope discipline.
• Draft and argue motions, including suppression and dispositive motions, with guidance from senior attorneys.
• Communicate with clients in plain language your grandmother would understand and be proud of.
• Take part in a rotation for after-hours, weekend, and holiday emergency calls—arrests, arraignments, bond hearings.
• Engage constructively with judges, prosecutors, and public defender offices across the practice area.
• Take direction well, and take initiative once you've earned the trust to do so.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Legal writing

Criminal law

Courtroom advocacy

Client communication

Case management

Tools

Case management systems

AI tools

Job description

Ben Hall Law is a small, but rapidly growing law firm in East Lansing, handling criminal defense and personal injury matters. We also represent a state agency in child abuse & neglect matters in multiple counties.

Ben Hall Law was shaped by Ben's years of public service before entering private practice. His experience in the Marine Corps, law enforcement, and prosecution gave him a firsthand view of how institutions operate—and how much power they can bring to bear on an individual.

That experience now informs both sides of the firm's work. In criminal defense, it helps us understand how police investigate cases and how prosecutors assess evidence. In personal injury matters, it reinforces the importance of careful investigation, documentation, and holding powerful organizations accountable when their actions harm someone.

The firm's philosophy is straightforward: know the facts, know the system, and prepare thoroughly. We do not assume that an accusation is correct, that a report tells the whole story, or that an insurance company's first position is fair. We investigate, ask questions, and build the case from the evidence outward.

Our core values: Fun, Accountability, Service, Teamwork, Integrity, and Excellence (FASTIE). They're not on a wall—they're how we decide who gets hired, how work gets judged, and what we tolerate. If that resonates, keep reading.

Our mission: To provide determined, high-quality representation to people facing powerful opponents—whether that's the government in a criminal case or an insurer after a serious injury. We protect our clients' rights, give them clear guidance, and pursue outcomes that help them regain control of what comes next.

Our vision: To build a Michigan law firm known for principled, effective advocacy in both criminal defense and personal injury. We want clients to know that when the stakes are high, they have a team that understands the system, takes their situation seriously, and is prepared to fight for them.

Position: Associate Attorney—Criminal Defense

Position overview

The Associate Attorney will handle criminal matters from arraignment through trial, sentencing, and appeal across multiple Michigan counties, working under the direction of the practice group's team lead. This is a developing role: you'll carry a caseload sized to your experience, build motion and trial skills case by case, and earn more independence as you prove yourself.

This is not a passive role. You'd be building your own trial skills inside a firm centered on client outcomes, not billing a clock. Compensation and advancement here track performance and results, not hours logged or busy work.

The firm does not accept two case types: matters where the client is accused of killing or attempting to kill a police officer, and criminal sexual conduct cases involving a child victim. Outside those two exclusions, the caseload is wide-ranging.

This is not a role for someone who thinks being an attorney means set hours. We believe in work-home integration, not a fixed schedule. Some weeks the job only takes four or five working days. Others demand six. Some days you're done by mid-afternoon. Others start with an early-morning arraignment. If you can't accept both sides of that, you will not be successful here.

This job is not for you if…

We believe in being direct. This is a strong opportunity for the right person, and the wrong fit for most people. Do not apply if:

You prefer to work alone. This is a team environment. You'll work closely with our team lead, case manager, and support staff on every file. Lone wolves will not thrive here.

You're uncomfortable with accountability. There is one standard way of doing things here—with KPIs, with standards—and every attorney, junior or senior, is held to it.

You’ve made peace with "good enough." We outwork the prosecutor. Every time. If a plea that's merely adequate is your ceiling, this isn't the place.

You have a "not my job" mentality. If you're keeping score of what's technically your responsibility, this isn't the right environment.

Key responsibilities

• Represent clients in criminal matters, from arraignment through trial, sentencing, and appeal, under the direction of the team lead.
• Build and manage a caseload sized to your experience, with efficiency and scope discipline.
• Draft and argue motions, including suppression and dispositive motions, with guidance from senior attorneys.
• Communicate with clients in plain language your grandmother would understand and be proud of.
• Take part in a rotation for after-hours, weekend, and holiday emergency calls—arrests, arraignments, bond hearings.
• Engage constructively with judges, prosecutors, and public defender offices across the practice area.
• Take direction well, and take initiative once you've earned the trust to do so.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required qualifications

• Active Michigan law license in good standing, or eligible to sit for the bar exam before your start date.
• 0-3 years of criminal law experience—prosecutor's office, public defender, judicial clerkship, or private criminal defense practice all count.
• Working knowledge of Michigan criminal procedure, the Michigan Rules of Evidence, and sentencing guidelines scoring, with a genuine willingness to deepen it fast.
• Strong legal writing skills, including the ability to draft a clean motion.
• Comfortable with technology and willing to adapt to new tools, including case management systems and AI.
• Ability to reliably commute to court appearances across assigned counties.
• Genuine alignment with the firm's values: Fun, Accountability, Service, Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence.

Preferred qualifications

• Judicial clerkship, prosecutor's office, or public defender experience.
• Courtroom experience, even from law school—mock trial, trial advocacy competitions, or externships.
• Existing familiarity with our core counties and courts.
• Genuine interest in the firm's police officer defense niche.
• Interest in cross-training on personal injury matters as the practice grows.
• Prior personal injury experience

What we're looking for

The right candidate brings more than a law degree. We're looking for someone who:

• Treats defense work as a calling, not a job—someone who wants to stand between a client and the full weight of the government.
• Wants to build a career here, not log time until something better comes along.
• Puts the client's authority over their own case first, while learning to give clear, unhedged advice on what the evidence actually shows.
• Is coachable. Takes feedback without getting defensive, and holds themselves to the standard before anyone has to ask.
• Brings genuine warmth to a system that rarely offers it.

Compensation ties to performance and outcomes, not hours logged or busy work.

• Salary: $85,000-$105,000, depending on experience and qualifications (DOE/DOQ), plus bonus
• Paid time off: 4 weeks annually
• Sick leave: 1 week annually
• Retirement: 401(k) with 4% match
• Health insurance: Medical, dental, and vision
• Disability insurance: Short-term and long-term
• Life insurance: Firm-provided
• Professional development: Support for CDAM, MIDC, and other criminal defense conferences and training