Bradley R. Haywood

“It is not hyperbole to say that Bradley R. Haywood has changed the entire legal landscape in Virginia. As the founder of Justice Forward Virginia, he revolutionized the criminal justice reform movement throughout the Commonwealth” — Virginia Lawyers Weekly

Brad Haywood has practiced criminal defense for over two decades, including 7 years as Chief Public Defender for Arlington County & the City of Falls Church, Virginia, 8 years as an Assistant Public Defender in Alexandria, and 6 years with Sheldon, Flood and Haywood, PLC. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia Law School. In the course of his career, Brad has represented thousands of clients in over 300 trials, including more than 50 jury trials. Brad has served as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at American University, Washington College of Law, and as a lecturer for groups including the Virginia Bar Association, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission.

Brad is the 2021 recipient of the Arlington NAACP's Charles P. Monroe Civil Rights Award, a member of the 2022 class of Virginia Lawyers Weekly's Leaders in the Law, and in 2025 was honored by the Virginia General Assembly in House Resolution 893 "exemplary counsel to clients in both state and federal courts throughout the Commonwealth," "deep commitment to local community engagement," and "making a difference in countless lives."

Haywood Law LLC focuses primarily on state and federal criminal defense, encompassing criminal trials, criminal appeals, and post-conviction litigation, such as petitions for clemency, claims of actual innocence and writs of habeas corpus alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. Brad represents clients throughout the Commonwealth, but primarily Northern Virginia jurisdictions, including Arlington/Falls Church, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Vienna, Prince William County, Manassas, Loudoun County, and Stafford. He also practices in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Case types include:

• Drug & Weapons Offenses
• Homicide
• Sex Crimes
• Assault
• Fraud & Theft
• Protective Orders
• Abduction, Strangulation, Stalking
• Trespassing
• White Collar Crimes
• Public Intoxication & Disorderly Conduct
• Drunk Driving
• Hit & Run, Reckless Driving and Driving on Suspended
• Expungements & Restoration of Rights
• Writs of Habeas Corpus
• Clemency/Pardon Petitions
• Criminal Appeals…and many others