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ATTORNEY JOHN A. BIRDSALL

Milwaukee criminal defense attorney John A. Birdsall has more than 30 years of experience and has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted and victorious criminal defense attorneys in the State of Wisconsin. With over 260 jury trials, mostly for serious felonies, he has an acquittal rate that is three times the state average.

John’s practice is focused exclusively on defending the wrongly accused, and he has recently made headlines for his defense of a client named Eddie Gill. After being accused of shooting and killing a Milwaukee resident, John helped uncover that the police had interrogated Gill into confessing when he was in fact not involved at all. Gill was merely a witness to the crime, and John was able to defend his rights and have the case dismissed and all of the charges against Gill dropped. John has been able to help several clients like Gill defend their rights and ensure that they are getting the best results no matter what the charges are against them.

As a current member of the Board of Directors, and past President, of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, John has helped develop sentencing guidelines for state judges and has served as a member of the Wisconsin Sentencing Commission. He also holds an AV rating, the highest available, in Martindale-Hubble’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, which is a testament to the fact that his peers have ranked him at the highest level of professional excellence. He also serves the State Bar of Wisconsin on the board of directors of the Criminal Law Section and as an elected member of the bar’s Board of Governors which oversees the entirety of Wisconsin’s legal system. John has shared his experiences by writing and hosting lectures for a wide range of audiences on criminal law topics such as warrantless searches, coerced confessions, prison overcrowding and truth-in-sentencing.


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Attorney John A. Birdsall

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: (414) 831-5465
Fax: (414) 831-5468

  • Admissions

    • Wisconsin Courts
      • Wisconsin State Bar
      • Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, U.S. District Courts
      • Menominee Indian Tribe, Supreme Court
    • New York Courts
      • New York State Bar
      • Northern, Eastern, and Southern Districts of New York, U.S. District Courts
    • U.S. Supreme Court
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
  • Education

    • University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A. with honors, 1986
    • University of Wisconsin, J.D., 1989
    • Trial Lawyer’s College, 2015
  • Professional Activities

    • Member, Wisconsin State Bar
    • Governor, Wisconsin State Bar, Board of Governors
    • Board Member, Wisconsin State Bar, Criminal Law Section
    • Board Member, Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
    • Member, New York State Bar
    • Member, New York City Bar
    • Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
    • Member, Rotary Club
  • Client Reviews

    “He is always available and it is clear that the needs and well-being of his clients come first. My situation was a challenging one and he helped me navigate both the legal and professional aspects of my case with skill and precision.” – Rob

    “Attorney Birdsall is passionate and experienced. Any client would benefit from his expert representation.” – Thomas A.

    “John is a very busy lawyer. But he is never too busy to reply to his clients and spend as much time with them as they need. He was responsive to every call, text, and email. We always felt like we had the best representation on our side and our entire family will be forever grateful.” – Susan

Birdsall Obear & Associates LLC


Milwaukee: (414) 831-5465
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.