Maria M. Justus
Trial Attorney
Maria Justus is a trial attorney at Lasky Justus Law in Savannah, Georgia. Prior to joining the firm, Maria worked under the mentorship Former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Donnie Dixon from 2017 to 2022. In that role, Maria assisted with and oversaw a variety of cases with a primary focus in Federal Criminal Defense. She also spent time at The Manely Firm, P.C. handling a variety of family law litigation.
Prior to becoming licensed to practice, Maria clerked in the Superior Court of the Eastern Judicial Circuit under Chief Judge Penny Hass Freesemann. During that time, she observed and assisted with the Mental Health and Veterans Specialty Courts. She then went on to intern for Attorney Richard Darden of Darden & Bradley P.C. where she assisted in felony appeals to Supreme Court of Georgia.
Through this experience Maria has developed great compassion for the clients she serves. She is able to apply this client centered practice to both her criminal and civil clients. Her civil practice is now focused on medical malpractice and personal injury litigation.
Practice Areas
Medical Malpractice
Automobile & Trucking Wrecks
Federal Criminal Defense
Background
Maria grew up in Miami, Florida in a Greek American family. She attended college at Florida International University earning her B.S. in Criminal Justice. While in school she was a proud recipient of the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, also enjoying active membership of the sorority Alpha Omicron Pi. Following college, Maria attended Savannah Law School where she was a John E. Ryan Merit scholarship recipient.
Maria currently serves as a board member of the Savannah Trial Lawyers Association and the Savannah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, serves as a Criminal Justice Act Panel Attorney providing legal counsel to indigent defendants accused of crimes in the Southern District of Georgia, and is a committee member under the Federal Law Chair for the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. She is also a volunteer for the Safety Valve Project providing pro bono counsel to students facing suspension or expulsion.
In 2024 Maria was appointed by then Georgia Bar President Honorable Tony del Campo to the Board of Governors to represent the Eastern Circuit, Post 3. She also serves on the Georgia Trial Lawyers Executive Counsel as a diversity and inclusion co-chair and on the Civil Justice PAC Young Lawyers Division.
At Lasky Justus Law Maria heads the facilitation of their philanthropic involvement and has greatly enjoyed growing the firm’s local community impact.
Maria was chosen to participate in the 2023-2024 Georgia Trial Lawyers Association LEAD Class and graduated spring of 2024. Admission to LEAD is highly competitive with stringent requirements with the program’s purpose to being build strong relationships between Georgia’s youngest and most promising trial lawyers from all four corners of our state. She has also been selected as one of Super Lawyers Georgia Rising Stars for 2024 and 2025.
When Maria is not advocating for her clients, she enjoys playing with her dogs, traveling with her two daughters and her husband and trial partner, Danny Justus.
Resume
Bar Admissions
• Georgia, 2019
• Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2020
• Supreme Court of Georgia, 2020
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, 2019
Education
• Savannah Law School– Savannah, GA – J.D. 2018
• Florida International University – Miami, FL – B.S. 2014
• Major: Criminal Justice
Professional Associations & Memberships
• Georgia Bar Association
• Savannah Bar Association
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
• Savannah Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
• Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
• National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
• League of Women Voters of Coastal Georgia
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