SMITHFIELD – Business North Carolina Magazine named Johnston County Attorney John P “Jack” O’Hale as one of North Carolina’s 2025 Legal Elite in the field of criminal defense. The rankings are decided through peer nomination and research by a third party specializing in data collection and verification.
Mr. O’Hale is a 1975 graduate of the UNC School of Law and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court; the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals; the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; and all North Carolina Courts.
Jack O’Hale has almost fifty years of legal experience representing individuals and businesses in criminal and civil cases across North Carolina and throughout the United States. He has been “Board Certified” in both State and Federal law by the North Carolina State Bar since 1993. Jack has also been recognized by his peers as one of the best lawyers in the nation since 1995 and has also been named Lawyer of the Year and one of the ten best lawyers in North Carolina. Since 2016, Mr. O’Hale has been nationally ranked as one of the top criminal defense attorneys in the nation. He has also been consistently recognized as one of the best lawyers in America.
In 2020, Mr. O’Hale received the Wade Smith Award from the North Carolina Bar Association. The award is named for Wade Smith of Raleigh, recognized as one of the all-time giants among criminal defense attorneys across North Carolina and the award is given by the North Carolina Bar Association to an outstanding North Carolina criminal defense attorney.
Jack is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. The College is composed of the best of the trial bar for the United States and Canada. Fellows are chosen by invitation only after a thorough vetting process. Jack has tried more than three hundred jury trials and thousands of non-jury trials and administrative proceedings during his career.
I myself have used Jack ohale on many occasions meaning criminal occasions and I have the upmost respect for him. Congratulations Jack, Curtis Blizzard
It has been a pleasure to be around and watch Jack (and myself) grow old. I remember the days back in the 80s and 90s seeing Jack stroll into any court room looking like he just got out or bed, holes in his shoes and socks. He never needed to dress to impress – his work and words said eveyrthing one ever needed to know about him. I have never in 40 years seen Jack where he didn’t stop and say hello, even if he was in a hurry. His caseload would have crushed the average person but I know he always gave 100% of himself to all his cases. Yes, he has defended some people that I did not like and knew they were guilty – but having a defense lawyer is one of our rights in the US – even guilty horrible people. That being said, if I were to ever be charged with a really bad crime – I would want Jack as my attorney.