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Mr. Lawlor is a founding partner at the law firm of Lawlor & Englert, LLC. Mr. Lawlor’s practice spans most areas of criminal defense, including State and federal felony trial work, State and federal appeals, and State and federal post-conviction proceedings. Mr. Lawlor also represents several individuals in capital death penalty proceedings.
Mr. Lawlor has substantial experience in capital cases. He currently represents a member of Maryland’s death row, Heath Burch, in post-conviction proceedings, as well as a pre-trial capital defendant in Anne Arundel County. In the past, Mr. Lawlor assisted in the briefing of two capital murder direct appeals to the Court of Appeals of Maryland and has extensive experience litigating lethal injection claims.
Mr. Lawlor has represented clients in dozens of state post-conviction and federal habeas cases, as well in direct appeals. Mr. Lawlor currently represents many clients with pending post-conviction cases and Motions to Reopen. Mr. Lawlor has also been appointed by the United States District Court for the District of Maryland to represent inmates who have filed federal habeas petitions. Recently, along with Ms. Englert, Mr. Lawlor was able to secure the release of an inmate who was serving a life sentence after uncovering evidence that the State had withheld Brady evidence. That inmate, Louis Batty, served 13 years of a life sentence and is now home with his family. Ms. Englert and Mr. Lawlor also obtained habeas relief for an inmate sentenced to life in federal prison. After successfully vacating his sentence, our client’s sentence was later reduced to 25 years’ incarceration.
In addition to appellate and post-conviction matters, Mr. Lawlor handles felony trials in both State and federal court. He tried a capital murder case in Prince George’s County, State v. James Logan that resulted in a conviction for second degree murder (later reversed on appeal). He has and continues to represent individuals charged, in state and federal court, with murder, carjacking, and drug offenses. Mr. Lawlor was currently represents an individual charged with hostage taking resulting in death, an offense which allegedly occurred in Trinidad. Mr. Lawlor also represents several individuals charged in RICO offenses. Also, Mr. Lawlor and Mr. Szekely recently concluded a six week trial in federal court in a case charging an $80 million fraud. After the trial, we secured a sentence departure of that reduced the clients’ exposure from 210 months’ incarceration to 70 months.
Mr. Lawlor graduated from the Columbus School of Law in 1997. He is admitted to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Circuits, and in the United States District Courts for the District of Maryland and the District of Columbia. He is a member of the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys’ Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
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Chat withState: District of Columbia
Acquired: 1998
Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2021
State: Maryland
Acquired: 1997
6305 Ivy Lane, Suite 608, Greenbelt, MD, 20770
Showing 1 - 5 of 5 client reviews from Avvo
Posted by MCBETH | October 31, 2025 | Hired Attorney
This attorney needs to be disciplined again and barred from law. He tells client to take a trumped up plea deal on false charges and gives a 17 year old 10 minutes to decide. He proceeded to not speak to client or family after sentencing . He handed the client to the defense and walked away. Horribl...
Posted by anonymous | March 6, 2024 | Hired Attorney
If I can give 0 stars he would get that! I feel the last review he lies to client and family acts very petty and does not follow up nor did he communicate to federal prosecutor and have not provided discovery in its entirely to client, only been to visit 3 times within a year! He wants the easy way a...
Posted by anonymous | November 4, 2023 | Hired Attorney
Michael Lawlor was absolutely my hero in my case. It was a three year case due to Covid and such and he was there every step of the way with me. He worked so hard and is an amazing lawyer. I can not praise this man enough. He was thorough and honest, caring and compassionate. He never let me done at ...
Posted by anonymous | June 1, 2023 | Consulted Attorney
I regret hiring Michael Lawlor because he changed his tone completely after I made the retainer payment. Prior to doing so, he made assurances that were never followed after I paid him. For example, he had promised me that he would talk to lawyers that were involved in a duplicate case as mine, but h...
Posted by anonymous | November 12, 2021 | Hired Attorney
I would rate Michael 0 stars if I could. I deeply regret retaining this attorney on behalf of a loved one and would do anything to go back in time and hire another lawyer. Throughout our entire experience with Michael, I strongly felt that he lacked understanding and compassion. During the few meetin...
"Michael Lawlor is an excellent criminal defense attorney. He zealously advocates for his clients, and is respected by both the bar and bench."
"I have known Mr. Lawlor for the past ten years and he has been a talented and zealous advocate in the courtroom since the first day he stepped into one. He knows the law and the local practices of the courts that he practices in. Mike's only concern when he takes on a legal matter is what is in the best interests of the client. "
DUI and DWI lawyer
This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2021.
Informal Admonition issued in DC, 2021
updated on 07/27/2022An admonition means an attorney did something wrong but may still practice law. The Bar gives the lawyer an admonition in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior.
2017
Super Lawyer, Maryland Super Lawyers
1997
JD - Juris Doctor
1994
BA - Bachelor of Arts
English