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:

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

Justin Dillon Interviewed by Doug McKelway at The Washington Examiner: The Future of Title IX: A Conversation with Justin Dillon

Justin Dillon Coauthors Opinion for USA Today: Ending due process: Reinstating Catherine Lhamon at the Dept. of Education is a mistake

Justin Dillon Coauthors Opinion for the National Review: Why Does Joe Biden Hate Due Process?

Justin Dillon Quoted in New York Times: DeVos’s Rules Bolster Rights of Students Accused of Sexual Misconduct

Justin Dillon Coauthors Opinion for the National Review: Coronavirus Is No Excuse to Delay the Education Department’s New Title IX Regulations

Justin Dillon Publishes Opinion for The Chronicle of Higher Education: New Title IX Proposal Would Restore Fairness in Sexual-Misconduct Cases

Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon in The Washington Post: The Education Department wants to make campus sexual misconduct hearings fairer. It should go further.

Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed for The Washington Post: Lawyers: DeVos is bringing due process to campus sexual assault cases

Justin Dillon Quoted in The Washington Post: Kushner to face intel committee on Monday behind closed doors

Justin Dillon Coauthors Op-Ed for The Harvard Crimson: The Hidden Perils of Affirmative Consent Policies

Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed: Minnesota’s Failed Football Boycott Was a Blow to Fairness in Campus Sexual Assault Hearings

Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in Los Angeles Times: Absurdity Reigns in Campus Sexual Assault Trials.

Justin Dillon Publishes Op-Ed on Lawnews.com: Why We Are Suing the Government on Behalf of Students Accused of Sexual Misconduct

Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish an Editorial in the Los Angeles Times: How to Punish Campus Sexual Assault

Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish Editorial in LA Times: Why It’s Unfair for Colleges to Use Outside Investigators in Rape Cases.

Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in the National Law Journal: The DOJ’s Crackdown on White-Collar Crime Creates ‘Cruel Alternative’

Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish Op-ed in The Weekly Standard: The Campus Sex Scene: How Congress Can Make It Worse

Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in San Diego Union-Tribune: California Bill Won’t Solve Sexual Assault Problem on Campus

Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in Boston Herald: College Courts Flunks Fairness Test

Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish an Editorial in the Wall Street Journal: The White House Flunks a Test on Sexual Assault

Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Opinion for The Wall Street Journal: The White House Flunks a Test on Sexual Assault

Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish a Letter to the Editor in the New York Times: The Rights of the Accused

Justin Dillon
Partner

[email protected] | P (202) 640-4427

Firm News
KaiserDillon Records Banner Pro Bono Year
blog
Heads I Win, Tails You Lose.

Justin Dillon
Partner

[email protected] | P (202) 640-4427

What happens if I lose my Title IX case? – Justin Dillon

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I am Being Accused of a Title IX Violation. Should I File a Counterclaim Against My Accuser? – Justin Dillon

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Why shouldn’t I sue before the Title IX process is over? – Justin Dillon

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When is the best time to hire a title IX lawyer? – Justin Dillon

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How long do Title IX cases take? – Justin Dillon

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If I lose on campus, how does a Title IX lawsuit work – Justin Dillon

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In a Title IX case, should I talk to the school? Will the police use what I say against me? – Justin Dillon

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Why would someone falsely accuse me of a Title IX violation – Justin Dillon

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Why should I hire a Title IX lawyer if they can’t talk during the hearing? – Justin Dillon

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Why do you do Title IX work? – Justin Dillon

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How did you get involved in Title IX work? – Justin Dillon

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Will hiring a Title IX lawyer make me look guilty? – Justin Dillon

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Justin Dillon
Partner

[email protected] | P (202) 640-4427

Justin Dillon
Partner

[email protected] | P (202) 640-4427