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Michael Waddington – Partner

Florida Family Law Attorney

Michael Waddington is a trial attorney and best-selling author. Beyond the courtroom, Michael harnesses his fervor and discipline through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reflecting his unwavering commitment to both his professional endeavors and personal passions.

Michael is licensed to practice law in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. He has provided consultation services to CNN Investigative Reports, 60 Minutes, Katie Couric, ABC’s “Nightline,” the BBC, German Public Television, CNN, CBS, the Golden Globe-winning TV series “The Good Wife,” and other international media outlets.

Michael & his law partner, Alexandra, wrote three of the leading textbooks on cross-examination, Pattern Cross-Examination for DNA and Biological Evidence, Pattern Cross-Examination of Expert Witnesses, and Pattern Cross-Examination for Sexual Assault Cases: A Trial Strategy & Resource Guide. These books are used by lawyers worldwide. In 2020, he published his first novel, Battlemind, a military legal thriller.

Mr. Waddington’s book, Kick-Ass Closings: A Guide to Giving the Best Closing of Your Life, is the #1 rated book on closing arguments and has been an Amazon bestseller since its publication. The book contains nearly 500 pages of Mr. Waddington’s best closings and hundreds of outstanding arguments by the nation’s top trial lawyers. He is also the author of the bestselling book The Art of Trial Warfare.

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High-Profile Lawyer

Major international media outlets have covered Mr. Waddington’s high-profile cases for over twenty years. He has appeared in a major CNN documentary, “Killings at the Canal,” and some of his cases have inspired books and movies. These include the Academy Award-winning documentary “Taxi to the Dark Side,” the feature film, “The Kill Team,” and Brian De Palma’s “Redacted.” (De Palma also directed “Scarface” and “Carlito’s Way”).  Michael has also consulted on numerous Hollywood TV and media projects, including the series “The Good Wife.” In 2020, Michael published his first novel, Battlemind, a military legal thriller.

Sought-After Trial Advocacy Instructor

Nationwide, Mr. Waddington teaches lawyers to cross-examine hostile witnesses and win trials effectively. He has repeatedly lectured at the National Trial Lawyers Summit, where he shared the stage with legendary attorneys F. Lee Bailey (one of OJ Simpson’s lawyers), Benjamin Brafman (Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer),  Mark Geragos (who defended Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, and other celebrities), Mark O’Mara (George Zimmerman’s lawyer), and Roy Black (who defended William Kennedy Smith & Rush Limbaugh), to teach cutting-edge trial techniques.

Michael and Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington were featured lecturers at NACDL’s 12th Annual “Defending Sex Crimes Seminar.” In this course, they taught two courses on how to defend Article 120 UCMJ military sexual assault cases and how to cross-examine expert witnesses.

Mr. Waddington was also a featured speaker at multiple NACDL Forensic Science Conferences. He taught lawyers how to cross-examine forensic experts and impeach hostile witnesses. He also lectured at the NACDL Forensic Science Conference in Las Vegas. His topic, Using Forensic Science to Create Reasonable Doubt in Sexual Assault Cases, focused on impeaching rogue sex assault examiners (SANEs & SAFEs) using cutting-edge research and medical textbooks. He also taught techniques to expose forensic psychologists and psychiatrists who testify about junk science, such as “Counterintuitive Victim Behavior” and “Tonic Immobility.”

In 2021, Gideon’s Promise invited him to lecture lawyers from across the USA on closing arguments, impeaching witnesses, and cross-examination. Gideon’s Promise is a nonprofit public defender organization whose mission is to transform the criminal justice system by building a movement of public defenders who provide equal justice for marginalized communities.

Mr. Waddington has also lectured on war crimes and the law of war at the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD.

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Internationally Respected Trial Lawyer

The ABCL is an invitation-only organization comprised of 200 of the most distinguished high-profile criminal lawyers in the world. Requirements for admission include having at least ten (10) years of criminal trial experience. Attorneys must have tried at least fifty (50) major felony cases to verdict and won at least thirty-five (35), at least five (5) of which being capital or life sentence cases. From 2013-2024, Mr. Waddington wrote chapters in the American Bar Association (ABA) annual book, “The State of Criminal Justice.” In 2016, he published Trial Warrior’s Book of Wisdom: A Compilation of Quotes for Success in Law and Life.

  • FELLOW – AMERICAN BOARD OF CRIMINAL LAWYERS (less than .004% of US criminal lawyers receive this honor)
  • VOTED SUPER LAWYERS – GEORGIA
  • 2013-2021 TOP 100 TRIAL LAWYERS IN THE USA – The National Trial Lawyers Association
  • RATED by AVVO.com – 10.0 SUPERB
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Background & Education

Mr. Michael Waddington was born in New Castle, PA. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, with a BA degree. He earned his law degree from Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia, PA. At Temple, he successfully completed, with honors, Temple’s Nationally #1 Ranked Trial Lawyer Training Program (U.S. News and World Report).

Before entering private practice, Mr. Waddington served two tours as an Army defense lawyer, worked as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, and as an Army Chief of Military Justice. He enlisted in 1993 and served as an Army soldier before being commissioned as an Army officer in 1997. He entered the US Army JAG Corps in 2001 and left active duty in 2006.

Temple University School of Law, Philadelphia, PA

  • Juris Doctor, May 2000
  • Completed, with honors, Temple’s #1 Ranked Trial Advocacy Program (U.S. News and World Report)
  • Law Journal Editor: Temple Environmental Law & Technology Journal, 1998-2000

Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA

  • BA, Honors: Magna Cum Laude
  • Dean’s List 8 Consecutive Semesters
  • Army ROTC Scholarship Recipient, Distinguished Military Graduate, Battalion Commander
  • Study Aboard: Semester at Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain

Military Lawyer Experience (Army JAG)

  • Defended military personnel from E-1 to E-9 and WO1 to O-6 at court-martials, Article 32s, pretrial confinement hearings, NJP, and separation boards.
  • Successfully defended service members of murder, drug offenses, detainee abuse, maltreatment, attempted murder, rape, sexual crimes, child abuse, trainee abuse, maiming, aggravated assault, larceny, financial crimes, computer crimes, white-collar crime, and various other crimes.
  • Represented hundreds of service members who were being administratively discharged from the military.
  • Former Army JAG officer.
  • Served two tours as an Army defense lawyer.
  • Headed a Trial Defense Service (TDS) branch office as the Senior Defense Counsel.
  • Former Special Assistant United States Attorney. Prosecuted cases in Federal Court. Worked with the FBI, ATF, DEA, Secret Service, and U.S. Marshall’s Service.
  • Former Chief of Military Justice.
  • Received the Award for Excellence in Advocacy, U.S. Army JAG Corps Criminal Law Advocacy Course.
  • Enlisted in the Army in 1993, out of high school, and rose to the rank of CPT.

Publications

  • “Military Justice Reform: The Current State of Affairs,” ABA Criminal Justice Magazine, Summer 2024.
  • “The 21 Rules for Surviving Cross-Examination with Your Credibility Intact,” Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, The Florida Defender, Summer 2024.
  • “Military Justice Reform: The Current State of Affairs.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2024. ABA, 2024.
  • “The Road Toward Military Justice Reform.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2023. ABA, 2023.
  • “Overview of UCMJ Changes in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2022. ABA, 2022.
  • Pattern Cross-Examination for DNA and Biological Evidence: A Trial Strategy & Resource Guide. NACDL Press, 2021.
  • “Military Justice Act of 2016’s Expansion of Military Subpoena Power.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2021. ABA, 2021.
  • Battlemind: A Military Legal Thriller. CreateSpace, 2020.
  • Pattern Cross-Examination for Forensic Experts: A Trial Strategy & Resource Guide. NACDL Press, 2020.
  • “Changes to the Punitive Articles Under the Military Justice Act of 2016.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2020. ABA, 2020.
  • “MJA 2016.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2019. ABA, 2019.
  • Kick-Ass Closings: A Guide to Giving the Best Closing Argument of Your Life. CreateSpace, 2018.
  • “Overview of the Military Justice Act of 2016.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2018. ABA, 2018.
  • Pattern Cross-Examination for Sexual Assault Cases: A Trial Strategy & Resource Guide. NACDL Press, 2017.
  • “Military Criminal Justice: Further Expanded Victim Rights and Overarching Refinements.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2017. ABA, 2017
  • The Art of Trial Warfare: Winning at Trial Using Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. CreateSpace, 2016.
  • Trial Warrior’s Book of Wisdom: A Compilation of Quotes for Success in Law and Life. CreateSpace, 2016.
  • “Military Criminal Justice: Expanded Rights for Sexual Assault Victims.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2016. ABA, 2016.
  • “Military Criminal Law.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2015. ABA, 2015.
  • “Supreme Court Signals The Right To Privacy In Digitally Stored Data.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2015. ABA, 2015.
  • “Changes to The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) Pertaining to Rape and Sexual Assault.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2014. ABA, 2014.
  • “Defense Function and Service – Military Practice.” In The State of Criminal Justice 2013. ABA, 2013.
  • “Military Justice Overview,” New Jersey State Bar Magazine, June 2007.

Teaching Experience

  • “The 21 Rules for Surviving Cross-Examination with Your Credibility Intact.” 2022-24, Various online CLE forums.
  • “Controlling Difficult Witnesses on Cross-Examination.” 2022-24, Various online CLE forums.
  • “Disorder on the Battlefield: Avoiding War Crime Cases.” 2023 U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD.
  • “Kick-Ass Closings Arguments,” 2022 National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) Annual Conference, Orlando, FL
  • “Controlling Hostile Witnesses on Cross-Examination,” 2022 National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) Annual Conference, Orlando, FL
  • “The Law of War: War Crimes in Iraq 2006.” 2022 U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD.
  • “Cross-Examination in Sexual Assault Cases.” NACDL’s 2021 National Sex Crime Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
  • “Defending Article 120 UCMJ Sexual Assault Cases.” NACDL’s 2021 National Sex Crime Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
  • Multiple trial advocacy topics, 2021 Gideon’s Promise National CLE Training Series
  • “Pattern Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witnesses.” 2021 NACDL Forensic Science Conference.
  • “Operation Iron Triangle: Anatomy of a War Crime.” 2021 U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD.
  • “Cross-Examining Forensic Experts.” 2020 NACDL Forensic Science Conference, Online.
  • “Delivering Powerful Opening Statements.” 2019 National Trial Lawyers Summit, Miami, FL.
  • “Using Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to Win Sexual Assault Cases.” NACDL’s 2017 National Sex Crime Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
  • “Defending a Military Client Charged with Sexual Assault.” NACDL’s 2017 National Sex Crime Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
  • “Using Forensic Science to Create Reasonable Doubt.” 2017 NACDL Forensic Science Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
  • “Selecting Diverse Juries Without Building Walls.” 2017 National Trial Lawyers Summit, Miami, FL.
  • “The Trial Warrior’s Mindset.” 2017 National Trial Lawyers Summit, Miami, FL.
  • “Using The Art of War to Win Jury Trials.” 2016 National Trial Lawyers Summit, Miami, FL.
  • “Attacking Witness Credibility & Rules of Evidence,” Military Defense Conference, Charleston, SC, Spring 2006.
  • “Witness Impeachment, ”Military Defense Conference, Orlando, FL, Spring 2004.
  • “Urinalysis Defense,” Military Defense Conference, Washington, DC, Fall 2003.
  • Instructor, numerous Federal Law Enforcement Seminars, Fort Gordon, GA, June 2004-July 2005

Professional Licenses & Memberships

Associations

  • Michael is a member of the Florida, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, New Jersey, and Georgia State Bar Associations. She is also a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL), the Broward County Bar Association, the Weston Bar Association, and the Broward County Hispanic Bar Association.

Languages

  • Michael Waddington speaks Spanish and English, as well as intermediate French. He has lived and studied in Spain and France and worked in Puerto Rico for seven years.

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