Joshua Tolin, Trial Attorney

Joshua Tolin started Veritas Military Law after having served more than ten years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. Prior to serving in the military, Joshua worked in private practice from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and clerked for a federal trial judge. In addition to defending clients, he has prosecuted countless crimes as a junior JAG prosecutor, in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for Colorado and Wyoming, and as a highly-specialized senior prosecutor for the Air Force.

In his last assignment for the Air Force, Joshua served as a Senior Defense Counsel, defending Air Force Airmen and Space Force Guardians around the world. While no defense attorney can guarantee any certain results, in his last assignment, Joshua personally secured a 95% acquittal rate for the crimes charged against his clients (including full acquittals, partial acquittals, dismissals, and client-requested administrative actions in lieu of courts-martial).  Joshua’s clients ranged from junior enlisted members to general officers.

As a Senior Defense Counsel, Joshua was approved as Individual Military Defense Counsel numerous times, including to represent a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel brought to trial by general court-martial as a retiree. 

In his last few years on active duty, Joshua made a name for himself as the go-to defense attorney to professionally handle allegations of prosecutorial and judicial violations and misconduct, as well as unlawful command influence. Joshua and his trial defense team successfully secured in-court testimony from the Secretary of the Air Force (the first and only time a service Secretary has provided in-person testimony at a court-martial), the Air Force’s The Judge Advocate General (TJAG), the former Air Force Chief Trial Judge, two generals, and two sitting Staff Judge Advocates, after an alleged victim went on an unprecedented news media and Congressional campaign to bring our now exonerated client to trial by court-martial.

Joshua is one of the very few Air Force JAGs who have served as both senior prosecutor and senior defense counsel, and Joshua is the first (and only) certified Special Trial Counsel (STC) who you can hire as a civilian defense counsel. If the Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) has your number, your defense team should be led by a certified STC.

Joshua continues to serve as a major (O-4) in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

Past Professional Assignments

World-traveled, Experienced Trial Attorney

Joshua defends U.S. service members worldwide. He and his family have lived in Colorado, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, D.C., Wyoming, Hungary, and Qatar.

He has worked cases from:

  • United States: including majority of CONUS states, plus Alaska and Hawaii
  • Europe: including England, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and Spain
  • Middle East: including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and numerous undisclosed locations
  • Africa: including Djibouti, Kenya, and Niger
  • Asia / Pacific: including Japan, Guam, and Korea

Education and Qualifications

  • University of Wyoming School of Law, with honors
  • University of Nebraska Graduate School, Master’s Degree in Business Administration
  • U.S. Air Force, 10-year veteran and current major (O-4), USAFR
  • Certified Special Trial Counsel
  • Bar admissions include: Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming
  • Authorized to practice law in all military trial courts and administrative hearings in all service branches: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force
Contact Joshua Tolin, Trial Attorney Today