Joshua Paulson has defended hundreds of individuals in federal court, in matters ranging from white collar fraud to drug trafficking and international terrorism. He has won top-charge acquittals at trial and achieved dismissals and non-prosecution agreements for numerous clients. Where convictions are unavoidable, Mr. Paulson’s vigorous and comprehensive sentencing advocacy frequently results in his clients receiving favorable plea bargains or substantial downward variances below the applicable federal sentencing guidelines.
In addition to his criminal defense practice, Mr. Paulson is also experienced in civil rights and immigration law, including removal defense. He has been a CLE instructor for immigration practitioners seeking to understand the complex interplay between immigration and criminal law, and he frequently assists other criminal defense counsel in understanding the immigration consequences that may arise from particular outcomes in their cases.
Mr. Paulson traditionally dedicates a significant portion of his time to pro bono causes. He recently co-authored an amicus curiae brief before the Supreme Court in a California police brutality case for the National Police Accountability Project, and has lectured on racial justice and criminal procedure.
Prior to affiliating with Miedel & Mysliwiec LLP, Mr. Paulson maintained a solo practice in the Southern District of New York and worked with the firms of Emergent LLP and Harris, O’Brien, St. Laurent & Chaudhry LLP. He previously served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Eastern District of Virginia, and as a state public defender with the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan.
Mr. Paulson received his J.D. from Columbia University, where he was a Lowenstein Public Interest Fellow, a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and a Charles Evans Hughes Fellow. He earned his Master of Arts degree from Stanford University, which he attended on a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship; and his B.A. from Carleton College, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and with Distinction.
A multi-year honoree of Super Lawyers, Mr. Paulson is admitted to practice before federal and state courts in California, New York, and Virginia. He is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He is fluent in Spanish.