Jason Downs - Murphy, Falcon & Murphy
Role at Murphy, Falcon & Murphy
Mr. Downs is an associate attorney at Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, where he handles both criminal defense and civil litigation cases. Mr. Downs participates in all phases of litigation and serves as lead-counsel or co-counsel on a variety of complex matters involving allegations of fraud, conspiracy, and civil forfeiture, to name a few.
Legal Approach
In the courtroom, Mr. Downs is known as a thorough, tough, aggressive attorney who leaves no stone unturned in ensuring his clients’ rights are protected. But working with his clients, he is known for his compassionate and caring approach, and has a reputation for going above and beyond a client’s expectations.
Career Highlights
Mr. Downs honed his trial skills at the same agency former United States Attorney General Eric Holder acknowledges is “the best public defender’s office in the country.” In his nearly decade-long work with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (“PDS”), Mr. Downs was lead counsel on 26 major jury trials against federal prosecutors, with an astounding record of success. Specifically, Mr. Downs’ success rate in felony jury trials was 282% higher than the Superior Court average. Despite many courtroom victories in high-profile matters involving testimony from a variety of witnesses, including FBI analysts, scientific experts, and civilian witnesses, Mr. Downs is most proud of his final trial with PDS. There, Mr. Downs successfully represented his client against well-regarded federal prosecutors effectively arguing nuanced forensic testimony and complex matters involving conspiracy law. After rapidly amassing an impressive portfolio of success, he was promoted to Training Director, becoming one of the youngest attorneys in PDS’s storied history to hold the position. As Training Director, Mr. Downs was responsible for ensuring approximately 200 PDS attorneys and private attorneys on the Criminal Justice Act Panel received up-to-date litigation training on novel trends in expert testimony, trial techniques, and substantive law.
Early Years
Growing up in Baltimore, Mr. Downs developed a passion for justice early in life. Seeing his contemporaries be negatively impacted by the criminal justice system, he decided to become an attorney to serve his community. He dedicated himself to learning about the law and protecting the rights of the accused—which led him first to law school, and then to PDS.
Education
Mr. Downs graduated magna cum laude from the University of Baltimore with a bachelor’s degree, and earned a juris doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law where he was inducted into the Order of Barristers for excellence in trial advocacy. During law school, Mr. Downs was a member of the Trial Team, winning the national championship his final year. Mr. Downs was also a recipient of the Excellence in Litigation Award sponsored by the Center for Forensic Economic Studies.
Family
Mr. Downs is married and currently lives in Washington, D.C.
Et Cetera
Mr. Downs is a frequent lecturer on litigation techniques. He has conducted lectures regarding trial lawyering for several institutions including the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), and Georgetown Law Center.
When Mr. Downs is not actively litigating or teaching trial lawyers, he practices martial arts. He holds a black belt in Chung Do Kwan, and has successfully competed in various martial arts competitions.