Senior Criminal Defense Attorney (Team Lead) (Hybrid)

About Ben Hall Law

Ben Hall Law is a small, growing multi-practice firm in East Lansing handling criminal defense, personal injury, and state-agency representation in child abuse/neglect cases.

The firm is shaped by Ben's years of public service before private practice—Marine Corps, law enforcement, and prosecution—which gave him a firsthand view of how institutions operate and how much power they bring to bear on an individual. That experience informs both sides of the firm's work: understanding how police investigate and prosecutors assess evidence in criminal defense, and the value of careful investigation and accountability in personal injury matters.

Philosophy: know the facts, know the system, prepare thoroughly. We don't assume an accusation is correct, a report tells the whole story, or an insurer's first offer is fair.

Core values (FASTIE): Fun, Accountability, Service, Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence. These drive hiring, performance standards, and what we tolerate.

Mission: Provide determined, high-quality representation to people facing powerful opponents—government or insurers. Vision: Build a Michigan firm known for principled, effective advocacy in criminal defense and personal injury.

The Practice Group

Criminal defense is the firm's largest revenue line and runs flat fee—hours don't convert to revenue, so efficiency and scope discipline are the whole margin. The group runs on volume without sacrificing effort, supported by an associate attorney, case manager, legal assistant, and client success coordinator. Lawyers focus only on lawyer work. Everything runs through one lens: how does this benefit the client?

Position Overview

The Senior Criminal Defense Attorney will lead the firm's criminal defense practice group, handling matters from arraignment through trial, sentencing, and appeal across multiple Michigan counties. This is a senior role—you'll carry your own caseload, train and mentor the associate attorney, and set the standard for the group. Compensation and advancement track performance and results, not hours logged.

You must independently handle any case type, including representing police officers—a deliberate firm niche, not an occasional assignment. We do not accept: cases where the client is accused of killing or attempting to kill a police officer, or CSC cases involving a child victim. Outside those exclusions, caseload is unrestricted.

Work-home integration, not fixed hours. Some weeks take three or four days; others demand six or seven. Some days end by noon; others start with a 2am emergency call. If you can't accept both, this isn't the role for you.

This Job Is Not for You If…

• You want a fixed, predictable schedule
• You prefer to work alone (this is a team environment—you'll train the associate attorney and coordinate with staff daily)
• You're uncomfortable with accountability (one standard way of doing things, with KPIs, for all staff)
• You've made peace with "good enough" (we outwork the prosecutor, every time)
• You think billable hours are the finish line (flat fee practice; goal is misdemeanors resolved within 90 days, felonies within 180)
• You have a "not my job" mentality

Key Responsibilities

• Represent clients from arraignment through trial, sentencing, and appeal
• Develop and implement case strategy toward the client's desired outcome
• Assign case tasks to team members as appropriate
• Manage a caseload with efficiency and scope discipline
• Train and mentor junior attorneys and staff on procedure, motions, and file standards
• Respond to after-hours, weekend, and holiday emergency calls (arrests, arraignments, bond hearings)
• Communicate with clients in plain language
• Engage constructively with judges, prosecutors, and public defender offices
• Represent the firm at CDAM, MIDC, and other professional events
• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Active Michigan law license in good standing
• Minimum 10 years of criminal litigation experience with substantial jury trial experience (mandatory)
• Deep knowledge of Michigan criminal procedure, Rules of Evidence, and sentencing guidelines scoring
• Ability to independently handle any case type in the firm's caseload
• Team leadership experience with genuine willingness to develop junior attorneys
• Proven ability to manage a multi-county caseload without sacrificing client satisfaction
• Strong tech skills, including case management systems and AI
• Strong motion-writing skills (suppression and dispositive motions)
• Availability for after-hours, weekend, and holiday emergency calls
• Ability to reliably commute to court across assigned counties
• Genuine alignment with FASTIE values

Preferred Qualifications

• Successfully managed a team or owned your own practice
• Strong relationships in our core counties
• Prior police officer experience, or experience defending law enforcement officers
• Experience with personal injury cases
• Active membership in local, state, or national associations
• Experience presenting CLEs or training programs
• Contributing author in published materials

What We're Looking For

Someone who treats defense work as a calling, wants to build a practice group (not just a caseload), puts the client's authority over their case first while giving clear, unhedged advice, builds trust naturally with judges and prosecutors, and welcomes feedback while holding themselves to the standard before being asked.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $140,000–$170,000, commensurate with experience, plus bonus potential
• PTO: 4 weeks annually
• Sick leave: 1 week annually
• Retirement: 401(k) with 4% match
• Health insurance: medical, dental, vision
• Disability insurance: short- and long-term
• Life insurance: firm-provided
• Professional development: support for CDAM, MIDC, and other conferences/training

How to Apply

You must follow these instructions. Submit your resume and cover letter, addressed to Mr. Vincent Gambini. In your letter, explain why this role appeals to you and how you'd fit into our culture. Include your salary requirements, your justification for that number, and what the firm can expect from you at that salary. Letters or candidates that don't follow these instructions will not be considered.