Justin Dillon
Partner
[email protected] | P (202) 640-4427
“He is a phenomenal litigator. It is not a job, it is a passion for him.” – Chambers USA
“[B]rings considerable experience in litigation and investigations, drawing on knowledge gained in his previous role as a federal prosecutor.” – The Legal 500
“[T]he best of the best” among campus-discipline attorneys – The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)
A former Assistant United States Attorney, Justin Dillon now uses his years of litigation and investigative experience to defend clients in complex, high-stakes white-collar criminal and campus discipline cases. Justin combines a meticulous approach to investigating the facts with a deep knowledge of criminal and administrative procedure to vigorously protect his clients’ futures and reputations.
Justin helps his clients fight what are often the toughest battles they will ever face. In his white-collar practice, he has successfully defended the General Counsel of a public company in a foreign-bribery investigation, helped a government contractor avoid criminal charges after a lengthy federal investigation, and represented numerous individuals and small-business owners. He also frequently represents government employees under investigation for alleged ethical or criminal misconduct, including a former Cabinet secretary, a former Senate-confirmed head of a federal agency, and numerous other federal employees and federal prosecutors. He has extensive experience with Offices of Inspector General and the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). He is also the former white-collar crime columnist for the website Above the Law; a collection of his columns is available here.
Justin has gained nationwide attention for his work representing students and professors in campus misconduct cases, which he and his firm have handled at more than 100 schools nationwide. Along with his colleague Chris Muha, he co-authored Title IX Hearings and Litigation: A Practitioner’s Guide, published by The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and available here to any member of FIRE’s Legal Network. He also co-authored, with his partner Matt Kaiser, The KaiserDillon Guide to Defending Yourself in a Campus Sexual Assault Case, which is available here. While many of his cases are successfully resolved on campus, Justin is not afraid to take it all the way to court—he was the first lawyer in the country to win summary judgment against a university in a campus sexual assault case, and he has never lost a Title IX lawsuit. (Click this link for more information about the firm’s Title IX Defense practice at our dedicated Title IX website, which includes video FAQs that have helped demystify these proceedings for many families.)
Immediately before joining KaiserDillon PLLC, Justin spent five and a half years as a federal prosecutor in Washington, DC, where he led more than 100 Grand Jury investigations, tried more than 60 criminal cases, and handled more than a dozen appeals.
Justin has also been published or quoted in more than a dozen national newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, National Review, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Here is a sample:
- “Biden’s Title IX changes would roll back fairness and due process on campus,” Justin Dillon & KC Johnson, The Washington Examiner, July 5, 2022
- “The Future of Title IX: A Conversation with Justin Dillon,” Doug McKelway, The Washington Examiner, June 15, 2021
- “Ending due process: Reinstating Catherine Lhamon at the Dept. of Education is a mistake,” Justin Dillon & Stuart Taylor, Jr., USA Today, June 14, 2021
- “Why Does Joe Biden Hate Due Process?”, Justin Dillon & Candice Jackson, National Review, March 25, 2021
- “The ACLU vs. due process: The nonprofit takes a surprising stand against more rights for those accused on campus,” KC Johnson & Justin Dillon, New York Daily News, May 21, 2020
- “Coronavirus Is No Excuse to Delay the Education Department’s New Title IX Regulations,” Justin Dillon & KC Johnson, National Review, March 30, 2020
- “DeVos’s Rules Bolster Rights of Students Accused of Sexual Misconduct,” (quoted), The New York Times, May 6, 2020
- “New Title IX Proposal Would Restore Fairness in Sexual-Misconduct Cases,” Justin Dillon, The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 19, 2019
- “The Education Department wants to make campus sexual misconduct hearings fairer. It should go further.”, Justin Dillon & Matt Kaiser, The Washington Post, September 5, 2018
- “The Common App will no longer require disclosure of criminal history. But what it still asks is more troubling.”, Justin Dillon & Scott Bernstein, The Washington Post, August 23, 2018
- “Lawyers: DeVos is bringing due process to campus sexual assault cases,” Justin Dillon & Matt Kaiser, The Washington Post, September 11, 2017
- “Kushner to face intel committee on Monday behind closed doors,” (quoted), The Washington Post, July 23, 2017
- “Everything You Think You Know About Campus Sexual Assault Is Wrong: A Review Of ‘The Campus Rape Frenzy,’” Justin Dillon, Above the Law, March 23, 2017
- “Why We Are Suing the Government on Behalf of Students Accused of Sexual Misconduct,” Justin Dillon & Robert Shibley, Law & Crime, April 13, 2016
- “The Hidden Perils of Affirmative Consent Policies,” Justin Dillon & Hanna L. Stotland, The Harvard Crimson, March 22, 2017.
- “Absurdity reigns in campus sexual assault trials,” Justin Dillon, The Los Angeles Times, April 21, 2016
- “How to punish campus sexual assault,” Justin Dillon & Matt Kaiser, The Los Angeles Times, November 24, 2015
- “Why it’s unfair for colleges to use outside investigators in rape cases,” Justin Dillon & Matt Kaiser, The Los Angeles Times, September 16, 2015
- “The White House Flunks a Test on Sexual Assault,” Justin Dillon & Matt Kaiser, The Wall Street Journal, May 5, 2014
Justin has been invited to speak before organizations including the American Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Virginia State Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, the Colorado Bar Association, Harvard Law School (video here), the Defense of Freedom Institute (video here), the Federalist Society, the University of Kentucky’s Center for Research on Violence Against Women, the Association of Title IX Administrators, the Higher Education Consultants Association, and the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
He is a member of the Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court, an invitation-only professional organization devoted to white-collar practice, and the John Carroll Society. He teaches trial advocacy at Harvard Law School and has guest-lectured on criminal law and Title IX matters at Harvard, George Washington University, American University, and the University of Maryland. He is the former chair of the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the D.C. Bar and a member of the Board of Directors of Families Advocating for Campus Equality, a nonprofit organization devoted to bringing greater due process protections to campus disciplinary proceedings.
Justin has been recognized by Chambers & Partners in Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in Washington, DC. He has also been recognized by Best Lawyers© in the category Criminal Defense: White-Collar; named by Super Lawyers as one of the Top Rated White Collar Crime Attorneys in Washington, D.C.; and selected by Washingtonian Magazine as one of Washington’s Best Lawyers in Criminal Defense.
Education
- J.D., Harvard Law School. Editor, Harvard Law Review; Captain, Winning Team, Ames Moot Court Competition
- B.A., Duke University, magna cum laude
Government Service
- Assistant United States Attorney, District of Columbia
- Trial Attorney, Housing & Civil Enforcement Section, Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice
- Clerkship, The Honorable David M. Ebel, United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Justin Dillon
Partner
[email protected] | P (202) 640-4427
Justin Dillon Publishes Op-Ed in the Washington Examiner: Biden’s Title IX changes would roll back fairness and due process on campus
July 5, 2022Justin Dillon Interviewed by Doug McKelway at The Washington Examiner: The Future of Title IX: A Conversation with Justin Dillon
June 15, 2021Justin Dillon Coauthors Opinion for USA Today: Ending due process: Reinstating Catherine Lhamon at the Dept. of Education is a mistake
June 14, 2021Justin Dillon Coauthors Opinion for the National Review: Why Does Joe Biden Hate Due Process?
March 25, 2021Justin Dillon Coauthors Opinion for New York Daily News: The ACLU vs. due process: The nonprofit takes a surprising stand against more rights for those accused on campus
May 21, 2020Justin Dillon Quoted in New York Times: DeVos’s Rules Bolster Rights of Students Accused of Sexual Misconduct
May 6, 2020Justin Dillon Coauthors Opinion for the National Review: Coronavirus Is No Excuse to Delay the Education Department’s New Title IX Regulations
March 30, 2020Justin Dillon Publishes Opinion for The Chronicle of Higher Education: New Title IX Proposal Would Restore Fairness in Sexual-Misconduct Cases
November 19, 2019Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon in The Washington Post: The Education Department wants to make campus sexual misconduct hearings fairer. It should go further.
September 6, 2018Justin Dillon Opinion Piece in The Washington Post – “The Common App will no longer require disclosure of criminal history. But what it still asks is more troubling.”
August 23, 2018Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed for The Washington Post: Lawyers: DeVos is bringing due process to campus sexual assault cases
September 11, 2017Justin Dillon Quoted in The Washington Post: Kushner to face intel committee on Monday behind closed doors
July 23, 2017Justin Dillon Publishes Opinion for Above The Law: Everything You Think You Know About Campus Sexual Assault Is Wrong: A Review Of ‘The Campus Rape Frenzy’
March 23, 2017Justin Dillon Coauthors Op-Ed for The Harvard Crimson: The Hidden Perils of Affirmative Consent Policies
March 22, 2017Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed: Minnesota’s Failed Football Boycott Was a Blow to Fairness in Campus Sexual Assault Hearings
December 20, 2016Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in Los Angeles Times: Absurdity Reigns in Campus Sexual Assault Trials.
April 21, 2016Justin Dillon Publishes Op-Ed on Lawnews.com: Why We Are Suing the Government on Behalf of Students Accused of Sexual Misconduct
April 13, 2016Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish an Editorial in the Los Angeles Times: How to Punish Campus Sexual Assault
November 14, 2015Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish Editorial in LA Times: Why It’s Unfair for Colleges to Use Outside Investigators in Rape Cases.
September 16, 2015Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in the National Law Journal: The DOJ’s Crackdown on White-Collar Crime Creates ‘Cruel Alternative’
September 14, 2015Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish Op-ed in The Weekly Standard: The Campus Sex Scene: How Congress Can Make It Worse
August 6, 2015Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in San Diego Union-Tribune: California Bill Won’t Solve Sexual Assault Problem on Campus
September 3, 2014Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in Boston Herald: College Courts Flunks Fairness Test
August 16, 2014Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish an Editorial in the Wall Street Journal: The White House Flunks a Test on Sexual Assault
May 5, 2014Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Opinion for The Wall Street Journal: The White House Flunks a Test on Sexual Assault
May 5, 2014Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish a Letter to the Editor in the New York Times: The Rights of the Accused
April 28, 2014Justin Dillon
Partner
[email protected] | P (202) 640-4427
KaiserDillon Receives Firm and Individual Lawyer Recognitions in the 2023 Chambers USA Guide
KaiserDillon Recognized for Both White Collar Defense and Ethics and Professional Responsibility
KaiserDillon Recognized in 2023 Edition of Best Lawyers® Peer Review Guide
KaiserDillon Receives Firm and Individual Lawyer Recognitions in the 2022 Chambers USA Guide
KaiserDillon Attorneys Recognized in 2022 Edition of Best Lawyers® Peer Review Guide
KaiserDillon Receives Firm and Individual Lawyer Recognitions in the 2021 Chambers USA Guide
KaiserDillon PLLC Recognized Again by The Legal 500 for White-Collar Criminal Defense
KaiserDillon Partners Matt Kaiser, Justin Dillon, and Jon Jeffress Recognized by Chambers USA
Justin Dillon Recognized by Chambers USA
What the Harvey Weinstein Verdict Might Mean for Exculpatory Evidence in Title IX Cases
Interview Published With Title IX Lawyer Justin Dillon On What It’s Like Working In This Growing Field
National News Outlets Turn to Justin Dillon for Comment on Proposed New Title IX Rules
Justin Dillon Comments on Betsy DeVos’s Proposed Title IX Reforms in The Atlantic
Justin Dillon Featured in NPR Story on New Title IX Guidance
KaiserDillon Selected as a 2018 Best Law Firm in Criminal Defense: White Collar, by U.S. News & World Report
Justin Dillon Discusses Title IX Enforcement at Harvard Law School Bicentennial
Justin Dillon Talks Football And The First Amendment In The Washington Post
Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Author Washington Post Op-Ed on the Future of Title IX Investigations
The New York Times Interviews Justin Dillon About Betsy DeVos’s Proposed Changes To The Title IX Process
Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Justin Dillon’s Comments on Trump-“Morning Joe” Feud Featured in BuzzFeed News
The Associated Press Interviews Justin Dillon about President Trump’s Legal Strategy
The Wall Street Journal Quotes Justin Dillon on the Trump Investigation
The Chronicle of Higher Education Interviews Justin Dillon On Title IX Due Process
Justin Dillon Poses the Question “When Should Prosecutors Act Like People?”
The Associated Press Quotes Justin Dillon on Push for Colleges to Note Sexual Misconduct on Transcripts
KaiserDillon Publishes a Guide for Students Accused of Campus Sexual Assault
Justin Dillon named to Board of Advisers of Families Advocating for Campus Equality (FACE)
Reason Quotes Partner Justin Dillon about KaiserDillon’s Lawsuit Against the Department of Education.
Justin Dillon quoted by The Washington Post Regarding Infamous D.C. 1983 New Year’s Eve Killing
Justin Dillon Interviewed by The Huffington Post on George Mason University Legal Victory
The Washington Post Interviews Justin Dillon about the Erin Andrews Case
Justin Dillon Discusses “Scarlet Letter Laws” on Al-Jazeera America
Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Featured in The Torch, FIRE’s Legal Newsletter
Justin Dillon
Partner
[email protected] | P (202) 640-4427
What happens if I lose my Title IX case? – Justin Dillon
PlayI am Being Accused of a Title IX Violation. Should I File a Counterclaim Against My Accuser? – Justin Dillon
PlayWhy shouldn’t I sue before the Title IX process is over? – Justin Dillon
PlayWhen is the best time to hire a title IX lawyer? – Justin Dillon
PlayHow long do Title IX cases take? – Justin Dillon
PlayIf I lose on campus, how does a Title IX lawsuit work – Justin Dillon
PlayIn a Title IX case, should I talk to the school? Will the police use what I say against me? – Justin Dillon
PlayWhy would someone falsely accuse me of a Title IX violation – Justin Dillon
PlayWhy should I hire a Title IX lawyer if they can’t talk during the hearing? – Justin Dillon
PlayWhy do you do Title IX work? – Justin Dillon
PlayHow did you get involved in Title IX work? – Justin Dillon
PlayWill hiring a Title IX lawyer make me look guilty? – Justin Dillon
PlayJustin Dillon
Partner
[email protected] | P (202) 640-4427