About John M. Runfola

John M. Runfola is a highly experienced, effective, reliable, and diligent criminal defense attorney whose cases have drawn national and international attention. He has succeeded in winning favorable results for clients through skillful pretrial work and at trial.

For decades, John M. Runfola has been honored by his peers as a Preeminent Lawyer in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. Since 1916, Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register has been the definitive guide for America’s leading lawyers and law firms. Only the most preeminent law practices appear in the Bar Register – those whose lawyers have achieved the prestigious “AV Preeminent” rating, the top ranking in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. The “A” signifies the highest level or legal ability, while the “V” denotes “Very High” General Ethical Standards, which is defined as professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities. This rating is a result of a structured peer review and is based upon the confidential opinions of practicing attorneys and members of the judiciary.

Mr. Runfola has been selected as a California Super Lawyer, which honors the top 5% of lawyers in the State of California. Mr. Runfola has qualified and been admitted as an attorney to the Supreme Court of the United States.

More Than 40 Years of Criminal Defense Experience

Prior to starting The Law Offices of John M. Runfola in 1986, Mr. Runfola worked as a deputy public defender in Marin County and San Francisco, California, where he gained invaluable courtroom experience. He is an accomplished trial lawyer who prides himself in being involved in developing investigation strategies, motion work and client preparation.

Mr. Runfola has a deep commitment to justice, is keenly aware of the daunting task a defendant faces when accused of wrongdoing by the federal or state government and is willing to do everything in his power to aid the client in his or her fight. He comes from a tradition of the strongest legal advocacy and ethics, having seen his father, Joseph P. Runfola Sr., achieve great success as a criminal defense lawyer and a groundbreaking president of the Erie County Bar Association in New York state. Joseph P. Runfola Sr., among other accomplishments, created a committee on sex discrimination well ahead of its time, and headed the Bar Association’s Aid to Indigent Prisoners Society and its Prisoner Release Program.