Juan Pablo Román-Lagunas | Attorney

Your lawyer should be motivated by a desire to successfully restore your rights, secure your freedom, protect your assets, and otherwise help you move on with your life and career. For Indianapolis criminal defense lawyer Juan Pablo (JP) Román-Lagunas, satisfaction comes from using his experience and drive to achieve these goals for his clients. With deep litigation experience and a meticulous understanding of criminal law—Indiana sex crime laws in particular—JP meets clients where they are, sparing no effort to create a new beginning for them.

Born in Arizona, JP lived and studied throughout the US and abroad before settling in Indiana. His experiences sparked an interest in individual and civil rights. As an undergraduate majoring in international studies at Purdue University, he was a founding member of the City Diversity Coalition and a member of the Purdue Social Justice Coalition.

After earning his bachelor’s degree, JP lived in Shenyang, China, where he taught at several academic institutions. Upon returning to the US, he began his formal legal education at Valparaiso University School of Law. Outside the classroom, he enhanced his studies and fed his interest in helping others by serving as vice president of the Hispanic Law Student Association and participating in the Criminal Law Clinic. He was also both a competitor and a coach in the international moot court competition and studied abroad in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Following graduation from law school, JP nurtured his desire to help others by working as an Indianapolis criminal defense lawyer at the Marion County Public Defender Agency (MCPDA). As a public defender, he gained significant trial experience in Indiana criminal defense, working in both the Misdemeanor and D Felony Division and the Major Felony Division of the public defender’s office. His work at the MCPDA gave him the opportunity to sharpen his trial skills by conducting hundreds of bench and jury trials on behalf of clients charged with offenses such as misdemeanors, violent crimes, narcotics trafficking, firearms crimes, sex offenses, frauds, and homicides.

Using the experience he gained as a public defender, JP moved on to form Román-Lagunas & Wheeler LLC in 2014, where he represented clients throughout Indiana and in the federal courts. His practice regularly included complex criminal and civil litigation of matters ranging from criminal investigation to municipal concerns. JP shared his legal experience and knowledge by lecturing on criminal justice and expungement at the Indiana State Police Academy and on the impact of immigration and expungement on advising juvenile clients for the Indiana Public Defender Council. He also served as a panelist for the ABA Minority Trial Lawyer Committee on starting a successful private practice.

In 2019, JP joined Keffer Hirschauer LLP, a significant force in Indianapolis protecting client rights in criminal and civil cases. With more than 20 jury trials and more than 100 bench trials under his belt at the time, he was a formidable addition to Keffer Hirschauer’s impressive team of trial attorneys.

JP continues his work as an Indianapolis criminal defense lawyer, vigorously fighting to protect his clients’ rights. His approach to criminal defense is built on two principles: first, that people should not be judged by their worst moments in life, and, second, that his role as a criminal defense lawyer is to be the check on the power and authority of the government. His client’s appreciate his approach, motivations, and skill in helping them navigate the criminal court system when they are most vulnerable.

One area in which JP’s defense practice stands out is his work in sex crimes defense. Sex crime allegations often require pitting science and facts against a volatile emotional environment. Convictions for Indiana sex offender laws result in harsh penalties and significant social stigma. Defendants facing such charges—or even just the threat of such charges—should engage experienced counsel as early as possible. Indianapolis sex crimes attorney JP Román-Lagunas’ years of criminal defense work in particular and litigation experience in general give his clients an edge in defending against these sensitive and serious charges.

In addition to maintaining a thriving law practice, JP continues to share his professional knowledge as a regular presenter on matters of litigation, trial techniques, and other related topics. When he needs to recharge, you might find him spending time with his family, enjoying his love of language and music, reading, or playing racquetball or other sports. Each of these feeds his core drive to help right wrongs, protect his clients, and give them a new start.

When you’re fighting criminal charges, especially those involving sex crimes, you need aggressive, intelligent, principled, and experienced legal counsel.