Justin E. Dolan

Justin is Senior Counsel at Clouthier Law, where he primarily focuses on civil appeals. In addition to handling appeals, he works with trial counsel on dispositive motions, post-judgment briefing, legal strategy, error preservation, and other issues that shape the issues presented on appeal.

Justin brings the accomplished résumé of a seasoned litigator to his appellate practice. He has over two decades of experience representing Fortune 500 companies, large nonprofit hospitals, state and local governments, and everyday people in a wide range of substantive matters, including commercial litigation, employment law, tort cases, and business disputes. He has practiced in federal and state trial courts across the country and appeared before local, state, and federal administrative agencies. Justin has also presented cases, arguments, and briefing to the intermediate appellate and state supreme courts in Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, and to the Ninth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

Justin’s diverse practice experience reflects a longstanding engagement with the critical thinking, persuasive writing, and effective advocacy that an intensive appellate practice demands. Justin has litigated at various Am Law 100 firms in the Seattle area, where he drafted successful appellate briefs, summary judgments, and other dispositive motions for clients in high-dollar employment, tort, and business cases.

Later, Justin moved to Wyoming, where he was born and raised. As an assistant attorney general there, he defended the State of Wyoming against Section 1983 lawsuits and other tort actions. Then, as Senior Deputy County Attorney, he was second in charge representing Wyoming’s largest county. Before rejoining Clouthier Law, he handled Texas civil appeals and litigated commercial cases for a firm in The Woodlands. He recently argued before the new Texas Business Court on a jurisdictional amount-in-controversy challenge — including the effect of expert testimony on that determination — and successfully obtained remand of the case to the district court.

Justin’s appellate bona fides predate his practice experience. He graduated law school summa cum laude, served on Law Review, and was first in his class in Legal Writing, Contracts, Evidence, and Federal Courts. His academic achievements coupled with his legal experience eventually led to a three-year position as a full-time professor for the country’s top-ranked legal writing program.

Service has always been important to Justin, and his commitment to high-level advocacy extends to his pro bono work. For example, Justin represented a prominent youth-advocacy group before the Washington Supreme Court, helping to obtain a ruling that judges could not use their contempt powers to incarcerate runaway foster children. Justin also played a key role in a pro-bono class action that resulted in systemic reforms to constitutionally deficient county public-defense systems throughout Washington.

When he’s not working on one of his cases, Justin enjoys spending time with his son, learning Spanish, reading, and running.