Leslie S. Johns, Esq.

My name is Leslie Johns and I am a Partner at AJLJ Law. I was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio and currently reside in Cleveland Heights. I currently serve as a part-time Magistrate at the Shaker Heights Municipal Court and Intake Specialist at Equality Ohio. 

I’ve had a fascination with the criminal justice system since high school. I thought I wanted to be a Veterinarian until taking a criminal justice course in college. It wasn’t until junior year of college that I considered being a lawyer. However, with my passion for justice and general love for helping others, the path to becoming a lawyer was one that I was determined to navigate. 

I graduated from Bowling Green State University and Cleveland State University College of Law.

We both have a true calling to help others and we can’t stand bullies or people being treated unfairly. We represent individuals with compassion and empathy, but we also stand up for them with ferocity. We know that people make mistakes or find themselves in situations they didn’t cause and ultimately we’re in the business of helping human beings. 

I’m big on family so most weekends my wife and I are either spending time with our daughter,  my family or hers. We enjoy trying new restaurants and traveling as much as we can. 

Black attorneys make up about 4.7% of all lawyers in the country. Unfortunately, 40% of people in jail or prison are black. Being able to share common experiences and challenges through my representation of individuals not only provides a level of comfort but insight that some attorneys, by no fault of their own, simply do not have. I’m also often told that I have a remarkable level of patience. In handling sensitive matters such as criminal defense and protection order cases, having patience with individuals is an invaluable asset.