John A. Lentine

Alabama State Bar Association, 1987

United States Supreme Court, 1990

U.S. District Courts:Northern District of Alabama, 1987
Middle District of Alabama, 1991
Southern District of Alabama, 1991
U.S. Courts of Appeals: Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
Second Circuit Court of Appeals
Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama
Juris Doctor, 1987

University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida
Bachelor of Arts with Honors, 1984

Indian River Community College, Fort Pierce, Florida
Associate of Arts, 1982

Partner, Sheffield & Lentine, P.C., Birmingham, Alabama, April 2009-Present.
Partner, Sheffield, Sheffield, & Lentine, P.C., Birmingham, Alabama, September 2002-2009, Criminal defense practice trial and appeals in state and federal courts, as
well as civil forfeiture and post conviction matters.

Chief Panel Representative for all Criminal Justice Act Panel Attorneys in the United States, February 2005 to 2008.

CJA Resource Counsel, Northern District of Alabama, September 2002 – 2008.

Shareholder, Gorham & Waldrep, P.C., Birmingham, Alabama, March 1999 –September
2002, Practice criminal defense trial and appellate advocacy in state and
federal courts, as well as civil forfeiture cases.

Attorney, Wooten & Lentine, P.C., Birmingham, Alabama, September 1994 -99,
Practice criminal defense trial and appellate advocacy in state and federal courts, as well as civil forfeiture cases.

Partner, Sheffield, Sheffield, Sheffield, & Lentine, P.C., Birmingham, Alabama, 1991 -1994 Practiced criminal defense trial and appellate advocacy in both state and federal courts, as well as civil plaintiff and domestic relations advocacy.

Associate, Sheffield, Sheffield, & Sheffield, P.C., Birmingham, Alabama, 1987-1991
Practiced criminal defense trial and appellate advocacy in both state and federal courts, as well as civil plaintiff and domestic relations advocacy.

Clerk, Sheffield & Sheffield, P.C., Birmingham, Alabama 1985 – 1987
Conducted legal research, drafted briefs, pleadings, and memoranda, prepared cases for trial, attended and assisted in trials and hearings.

Adjunct Professor, Birmingham School of Law, Birmingham, Alabama, 2004 –Present, Instructor “Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure” and “The Death Penalty”

Adjunct Professor, Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, 1992 – Present, Instructor “Basic Skills in Trial Advocacy,” training second and third-year law students to develop fundamental courtroom and trial skills.

Adjunct Professor, Miles School of Law, Miles College, Birmingham, Alabama, January 1996 – 97, instructor “Appellate Advocacy,” teaching fundamental appellate practice, writing, and oral argument skills.

Faculty Member, National Criminal Defense College, Macon, Georgia since 1998.

Faculty Member, National Criminal Defense College, Advanced Cross Examination,
since 2004

Faculty Member, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Bill Daniel Trial Advocacy Program, since 2006

Instructor, National Association Legal Secretaries Legal Training Course, teaching legal secretaries Criminal Law and Procedure since 1998.

Participant/Instructor, National Institute of Trial Advocacy Teacher Training Program, Harvard University, Cambridge Massachusetts, April 2006.

Fellow, 2014 Birmingham Bar Foundation

Recipient, 2014 “Roderick Beddow, Sr. , Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
Recipient, 2012 “Lawrence B. Sheffield Jr., Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Greater Birmingham Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
Recipient, 2010 Judge Walter P. Gewin Award, from the University of Alabama Law School’s Continuing Legal Education Commission, for contributions to the development and presentation of continuing legal education programs.

Recipient, “Outstanding Professor Award” Birmingham School of Law, 2012,2013

“Birmingham’s Lawyer of the Year, 2012” in the area of Non White Collar Criminal Defense, “The Best Lawyers in America” publication, 2011

Listed, “The Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorneys in Alabama -2013, 2014” The National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys

Listed, “The Best Lawyers in America” publication, in specializing in White and Non-Collar Criminal Defense – 2008-15
Listed, “Alabama Super Lawyers” publication, specializing in criminal defense, 2008-2015 and listed Alabama’s Top “50” Super Lawyers in 2013,2014, 2015.
Listed, “The Best Lawyers in Birmingham” Birmingham Magazine, 2008-15

Master Bencher, Judge James Edwin Horton Inns of Court, Cumberland School of Law, January 2013 to present

“Best/Top Lawyers in Birmingham” Birmingham Business Journal, 2008-15
Listed, “The Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Alabama” 2007-2014 The American Trial Lawyers Association. 2010-13 The National Trial Lawyers.
Listed, “The Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers in Alabama – 2013-15” The American Society of Legal Advocates.
AV Preeminent rating, Martindale Hubble (since 1999)

Chair, Criminal Justice Section, Alabama State Bar Association -2013-2014
President, 2000-2001, Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (ACDLA), member since 1988.
President, 1996-1997, Greater Birmingham Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (GBCDLA), Birmingham, Alabama, member since 1993.
Former State Coordinator, The National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate, The National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1999-2004, re-certification in process.
Member, Alabama Pattern Jury Instruction (Criminal) Committee, Alabama
Advisory Committee on Alabama Criminal Jury Instructions
Member, Alabama Criminal Rules Committee, Alabama
Advisory Committee on Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure
Member, Committee to Study Indigent Defense, Alabama Judicial System
Study Commission.

Life Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL).

President and Interim Director, Legal Aid Society of Birmingham, Alabama, December 1996-1997, Responsible for administration and management of legal aid society, Board member since 1995.
Representative, CJA Panel Lawyers of the Northern Federal District of Alabama 1998-2008.
Member, Defender Services Advisory Group, Representative for the Eleventh Circuit, 2001-2008.

Chief Panel Attorney representative in the United States 2005-2008
Chairman, Defender Service Advisory Group’s Expert Panel on Training for CJA Panel attorneys, 2001-2008.
Chairman, Criminal Justice Section, Birmingham Bar Association, 2006.
Member, Executive Committee, Birmingham Bar Association, 2006, 2010-13

Member, Birmingham Bar Foundation, 2013 to present
Member of the American Bar Association, Criminal Justice and Litigation sections, member
1984-87, 1997-2003.
Member of the Criminal Justice, Criminal Courts Procedures and Grievance Committees, Birmingham Bar Association, Birmingham, Alabama.

Past Member, Association of American Law Schools, Clinical Legal Education Association.
Member, Association of Federal Defense Attorneys.
Graduate and Faculty Member, National Criminal Defense College, Macon, Georgia.

Former Fellow, The American Board of Criminal Lawyers
Fellow, The American Academy of Criminal Defense Lawyers

CLE Lecturer/Instructor:

Bar Associations: Alabama Bar Association, Bessemer Bar Association, Birmingham Bar Association, Montgomery Bar Association, and Talladega Bar Association.
Criminal Defense Associations: Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Federal Bar Association, Greater Birmingham Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Montana Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Utah Criminal Defense Lawyers Association,
Law Schools: University of Alabama -Alabama Bar Institute/CLE Alabama, Birmingham School of Law, Cumberland School of Law, Miles Law School, Jones Law School
Public Defender Organizations: Alaskan Public Defenders Association, Clark County Public Defender’s Association (Nevada), Community Defender’s Organization for the Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama, Federal Defenders of Western District of Missouri, Missouri Public Defenders, Federal Community Defenders of Montana, Federal Community Defenders of Western North Carolina, South Carolina Public Defenders Association, Tennessee Public Defenders Office, Utah Public Defenders Association.

Other Legal Organizations: Alabama Insurance Mutual of Alabama, Inc.,
Alaskan Trial Lawyer Academy, Birmingham Legal Secretary Association, Federal District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, National Business Institute, Southern Center for Human Rights, Training Branch of the Office of Defender Services, Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

“Gideon at 50: The Promise Broken” Commentary, American Journal of Trial Advocacy, Vol. 37:2, Spring 2014, Cumberland School of Law, Samford University
“Recommendations & Considerations for the Appointment of Counsel in Capital Cases”
Written for Jefferson County Circuit & District Courts, Criminal Division
of the Birmingham Division of Jefferson County, Alabama, Tenth Judicial Circuit

“Gideon v. Wainwright at Forty -Fulfilling the Promise?, Commentary, American Journal of Trial Advocacy, Vol. 26 :3 Spring 2003.
Cumberland School of Law, Samford University

“Downward Departures From the Federal Sentencing Guidelines: ‘Aberrant Behavior -The New Frontier,’” The Champion, Vol XVII, No. 3, 31-33 (April 1993), National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

“Trial in Absentia in Alabama or How to Try and Convict the Invisible Man,” The Defender, Vol. 3, 1, 3-5 (December 1991), Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

“When 1 or 3 Miles = 5 Years, The Alabama School Yard Statute,” The Defender, Vol. 1, 1, 5 (April 1991), Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association