About Joseph Hawthorn

Joseph C. “Lum” Hawthorn is the preeminent criminal defense law attorney located in Beaumont, Texas. He has been practicing criminal law and criminal defense in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas and in all courts, federal and state, in Southeast Texas for over forty years. Lum can handle any criminal matter ranging from misdemeanors to capital felonies, including grand jury investigations, whether they are state or federal cases. He can also appeal state and federal criminal convictions. Hawthorn is in the Beaumont and Lufkin federal divisions, Jefferson, Orange, Chambers, Liberty and Hardin Counties.

Lum Hawthorn is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Criminal law. He also holds an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell and has been listed in Best Lawyer’s in America since 1989. “Best Lawyer’s in America” is a Woodward/White, Inc. publication. He is currently the only criminal defense lawyer so listed between Houston and Lafayette. He has also been named a “Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly magazine, published by Emmis Publishing L.P., each year since 2003. “Super Lawyers” is a Thomson Reuters publication. “Super Lawyers” are selected by their peers and represent the top 5% of the legal profession.

Although Mr. Hawthorn practices mainly in Southeast Texas, he has handled cases as far away as Fresno, California, Lansing, Michigan, Boston and Miami.

Mr. Hawthorn is a member of the Jefferson County Bar Association (President, 1985-1986), the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association (Director, 1986-1989), the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Jefferson County Defense Lawyers’ Association, Texas Bar Foundation and the American College of Trial Lawyers. He was awarded the Professionalism Award in 2006 by the Texas Center for Legal Ethics Professionalism and the Jefferson County Bar Association. Mr. Hawthorn was also awarded the John Hannah, Jr. Award for Public Service in 2009. That award is given by the Eastern District of Texas Bar Association to the Texas attorney admitted to practice in the Eastern district who has demonstrated a superior committment to public service, and who has contributed significantly to raising the public profile and image of the legal profession in the Eastern District of Texas. He has been certified as a Criminal Law Specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1976. His clients have ranged from the indigent to doctors, lawyers, judges, politicians, law enforcement officers and even an active criminal district attorney.