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Emergency Criminal Defense Lawyers in Cleveland, OH (2026)

Top 50 of 156 criminal defense lawyers, in emergency orderUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank

25 of the 50 criminal defense lawyers on this list post 24/7 hours. 24/7 law firms come first, then same-day, each ranked by LFR Score with availability weighted higher.

If you or someone you know is arrested: you can stay silent and ask for a lawyer before answering questions. Calls from jail are usually recorded, so do not discuss the facts of the case on them.

The short answer

  1. 1

    #1 for emergency criminal defense in Cleveland: Watson Kuhlman, LLC, open 24/7.

Rankings can't be bought. Lawyers can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank

Top emergency criminal defense lawyers in Cleveland at a glance

Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.

Top emergency criminal defense lawyers in Cleveland at a glance
RankBusinessLFR ScoreGoogle ratingBased inHours
1Watson Kuhlman, LLC744.9★ (345)ClevelandOpen 24 hrs (Google)
2HMW Law744.8★ (364)ClevelandOpen 24 hrs (Google)
3The Botnick Law Firm | DUI/OVI and Criminal Defense Attorneys735.0★ (393)Shaker Heights, 9 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
4Patituce & Associates - Ohio Criminal Defense Attorneys734.7★ (235)ClevelandOpen 24 hrs (Google)
5The Elkhatib Law Office | Cleveland Criminal Defense724.9★ (156)ClevelandOpen 24 hrs (Google)
6Quinn Legal Associates724.9★ (473)Euclid, 14 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
7Cuyahoga Criminal Defense715.0★ (98)ClevelandOpen 24 hrs (Google)
8Zukerman, Lear, Murray & Brown Co., L.P.A. | Cleveland Criminal Defense Attorneys714.8★ (105)ClevelandOpen 24 hrs (Google)
9Goldberg Dowell & Associates, LLC714.6★ (99)ClevelandOpen 24 hrs (Google)
10William B Norman-Defending Ohio714.9★ (226)Berea, 12 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)

Call an emergency criminal defense lawyer in Cleveland now

24-hour hours mean the firm lists itself as open around the clock on Google; that does not show its phone is answered. A lawyer may not be able to visit a jail or appear in court the same day: ask what they can do now and what it costs before you agree.

The 50 emergency criminal defense lawyers in Cleveland, ranked

24/7 first, then same-day service, then the rest. Each group is in LFR Score order on emergency weights. The full ranking of all 156 is on the criminal defense lawyers page.

Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.

Scores below: based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected. Hatched segments mark factors we don't have yet.

  1. Ranked #1 in Cleveland

    #1 Watson Kuhlman, LLC

    Based in Cleveland

    74/100LFR Score

    Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 345 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 345 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    75 Erieview Plz Ste 108, Cleveland, OH 44114
    View profile for Watson Kuhlman, LLC(216) 279-9022

  2. #2 HMW Law

    Based in Cleveland

    74/100LFR Score

    Ranked #2 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 364 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.8★ from 364 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    1231 Superior Ave Ste 200, Cleveland, OH 44114
    View profile for HMW Law(216) 369-1352

  6. Based in Euclid, 14 mi away

    72/100LFR Score

    Ranked #6 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 473 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 473 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    34351 Chardon Rd #8, Willoughby Hills, OH 44094
    View profile for Quinn Legal Associates(440) 516-3800

  13. #13 Mastandrea Law, LLC

    Based in Cleveland

    69/100LFR Score

    Ranked #13 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 39 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 39 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    20620 John Carroll Blvd #216, Cleveland, OH 44118
    View profile for Mastandrea Law, LLC(216) 306-5105

  16. #16 Piazza Law Office

    Based in Brook Park, 13 mi away

    68/100LFR Score

    Ranked #16 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 81 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 81 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    View profile for Piazza Law Office(216) 612-6561

  18. #18 Corrigan Law Ohio

    Based in Lyndhurst, 11 mi away

    67/100LFR Score

    Ranked #18 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 64 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.6★ from 64 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    5495 Mayfield Rd Ste 200E, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
    View profile for Corrigan Law Ohio(440) 840-9101

  21. #21 Malek Law Firm LLC

    Based in Cuyahoga Falls, 27 mi away

    67/100LFR Score

    Ranked #21 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 169 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 169 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    2347 State Rd, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223
    View profile for Malek Law Firm LLC(330) 819-8018

  22. #22 Mishak Law

    Based in Amherst, 27 mi away

    67/100LFR Score

    Ranked #22 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 237 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.7★ from 237 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    Professional Office Building, 199 N Leavitt Rd Ste 200, Amherst, OH 44001
    View profile for Mishak Law(440) 678-0000

  24. #24 Godinsky Law LLC

    Based in Strongsville, 15 mi away

    66/100LFR Score

    Ranked #24 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 42 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 5.0★ from 42 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    13702 Pearl Rd, Strongsville, OH 44136
    View profile for Godinsky Law LLC(440) 826-3400

Top 50 of 156 criminal defense lawyers by emergency score

#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #50, in LFR Score order; each links to its profile.

criminal defense lawyers in Cleveland, ranks 26 to 50
RankBusinessLFR ScoreGoogle ratingDistance
26Law Office of John T. Forristal664.8★ (17)6 mi
27Sharlene Ann Ramsey Criminal Defense Attorney664.6★ (51)15 mi
28CARUSO LAW OFFICES, LLC Northeast664.8★ (28)13 mi
29Gary H. Levine653.2★ (9)In Cleveland
30Law Office of Britt Newman641.3★ (4)In Cleveland
31Patituce & Associates - Ohio Criminal Defense Attorneys634.3★ (7)11 mi
32AJLJ Law634.9★ (148)In Cleveland
33Smith Legal Services, Co. LPA624.3★ (16)23 mi
34The Gaulding Law Firm614.9★ (31)In Cleveland
35VanHo Law614.0★ (23)28 mi
36Carolyn Kaye Ranke Attorney at Law614.6★ (33)In Cleveland
37Law Offices of Brian J. Smith, ltd.614.9★ (144)8 mi
38Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers Westlake605.0★ (108)10 mi
39Gentile Law, LLC595.0★ (12)In Cleveland
40Michael C. Asseff Attorney at Law594.9★ (86)13 mi
41Allison F. Hibbard Attorney At Law563.8★ (10)In Cleveland
42Brockler Law565.0★ (380)In Cleveland
43John P. Hildebrand Co LPA544.4★ (5)10 mi
44Perotti Law Offices LLC545.0★ (13)17 mi
45Justin Kerr Law545.0★ (5)14 mi
46St Marie Law Firm Co LPA533.9★ (16)23 mi
47Friedman Nemecek Long & Grant L.L.C.524.8★ (97)In Cleveland
48Perotti Law Offices LLC525.0★ (12)26 mi
49AJLJ Law514.7★ (12)29 mi
50The Law Office of Carly L. Snavely, LLC512.3★ (3)17 mi

How we ranked emergency criminal defense lawyers in Cleveland

Emergency lists move 10 points of the LFR Score from reputation to availability: 15% and 15%. Availability credits 24/7 hours, same-day service, weekend hours and weekly open hours. 24/7 criminal defense lawyers are listed first, then same-day, then the rest; ranks follow that order. Paid placement never changes a rank.

Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Attorney advertising businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.

Read the full method: formula, sources and exclusions

LFR Score factors and weights
FactorWeightComputed from
Reputation15%Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it
Bar status10%An active bar or law society record matched to a lawyer at the firm (not measured until a record source is loaded)
Review volume10%Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed firm on the list
Recency10%Share of reviews from the last 12 months
Availability15%Weekly office hours, Saturday, Sunday, and phones answered 24/7
Practice focus15%How clearly the firm practises this area (its Google category and name)
Proximity5%An office in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is
Claimed profile10%The firm has claimed its Law Firms Ranked profile (free and paid earn the same)
Law Firms Ranked reviews10%Verified client reviews collected by Law Firms Ranked: their rating and how many there are

Emergency criminal defense lawyers in Cleveland: questions

Which criminal defense lawyers in Cleveland are open 24/7?

25 on this list post 24/7 hours, including Watson Kuhlman, LLC, HMW Law, The Botnick Law Firm | DUI/OVI and Criminal Defense Attorneys, Patituce & Associates - Ohio Criminal Defense Attorneys and The Elkhatib Law Office | Cleveland Criminal Defense.

Who is ranked #1 for emergency criminal defense in Cleveland, OH?

Watson Kuhlman, LLC is #1, with an LFR Score of 74 out of 100 on emergency weights.

How are emergency criminal defense lawyers in Cleveland ranked?

Emergency lists move 10 points of the LFR Score from reputation to availability: 15% and 15%. Availability credits 24/7 hours, same-day service, weekend hours and weekly open hours. 24/7 criminal defense lawyers are listed first, then same-day, then the rest; ranks follow that order. Paid placement never changes a rank.

What should I do before the criminal defense lawyer arrives?

If you or someone you know is arrested: you can stay silent and ask for a lawyer before answering questions. Calls from jail are usually recorded, so do not discuss the facts of the case on them.

How many emergency criminal defense lawyers here list a phone number?

25 of the 25 law firms ranked in full list a phone number. Tap Call to dial it.

Update log for Cleveland

  1. November 2026: LFR Scores recalculated for 156 criminal defense lawyers serving Cleveland.

More emergency and criminal defense pages