Joshua Padowitz
Top rated Criminal Defense attorney in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Practice Areas:
Criminal defense,
Appellate,
Assault & battery,
Drug & alcohol violations,
Sex offenses
Education Qualification:
Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law
Practice Areas:
Criminal defense,
Appellate,
Assault & battery,
Drug & alcohol violations,
Sex offenses
888 S Andrews Ave, #205Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33316
First Admitted: 2019, Florida
Professional Webpage: https://www.lauderdalecriminaldefense.com/joshua-padowitz/
Bar / Professional Activity:
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit , 2024
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida - Federal Bar Member, 2021
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida - Federal Bar Member, 2021
- Florida State Bar, 2019
- Associate Fellow - Litigation Counsel of America, 2025
- Member - Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2025
- The Federalist Society, 2025
- Member - NORML Legal Committe Criminal Defense Section, 2024
- Member - National College for DUI Defense, 2024
- Member - DUI Defense Lawyers Association, 2024
- Member - American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys, 2024
- Member - Fourth District Court of Appeal Historical Society, 2024
- Member - Weston Bar Association, 2024
- Member - South Palm Beach County Bar Association, 2024
- Member - South Broward Bar Association, 2024
- Member - Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2024
- Member - Justice Unit, Inc., 2024
- Member - Broward County Bar Association, 2024
- Assistant State Attorney, 17th Judicial Circuit, 2021
- Assistant State Attorney, 17th Judicial Circuit, 2020
- Assistant State Attorney, 17th Judicial Circuit, 2019
- Supreme Court Certified Legal Intern - State Attorney’s Office, 17th Judicial Circuit, 2019
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results):
- Miguel Rodriguez Albisu v. State of Florida, 4D2025-0690 - Emergency Petition for Writ of Mandamus Granted, Directing Trial Court to Rule on Motion to Dismiss (Stand Your Ground), 2025
- Katina Paese v. State, 381 So. 3d 4 (Fla. 4th DCA 2024) Case Overturned - Writ of Prohibition Granted, Directing Trial Court To Grant Motion to Dismiss (Stand Your Ground) , 2024
Honors:
- Rising Star, American Institute of Legal Advocates, 2025
- Verify credential, Top 40 Under 40 - Criminal Defense, The National Trial Lawyers, 2025
- Best Law Firms, BestLawyers.com, 2025
- Verify credential, Top 40 Under 40 - Criminal Defense, The National Trial Lawyers, 2024
- Florida's Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorney, Attorney and Practice Magazine, 2024
- Best Law Firms, BestLawyers.com, 2024
- Recognized for Community Leadership, Lawyer Legion, 2024
- Recognized for Professional Involvement, Lawyer Legion, 2024
- Elite Lawyer Award - Criminal Defense, Elite Lawyer, 2024
- U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms", U.S. News & World Report, 2023
- Clients' Choice Award, Avvo, 2023
- Lead Counsel Verified - Criminal Law, Appellate, Thomson Reuters, 2023
- Lead Counsel Verified - Criminal Law, State Felony & Misdemeanor, Thomson Reuters, 2023
- Lead Counsel Verified - Criminal Law, Federal, Thomson Reuters, 2023
- Lead Counsel Verified - Drunk Driving Defense, Thomson Reuters, 2023
- Dean's List, Nova Southeastern University, College of Psychology, 2016
- Dean's List, Nova Southeastern University, College of Psychology, 2015
- Dean's List, Nova Southeastern University, College of Psychology, 2014
- Tau Sigma National Honor Society, Nova Southeastern University, College of Psychology
- Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society, Nova Southeastern University, College of Psychology
- Psi Chi International Honor Society, Nova Southeastern University, College of Psychology
- Alpha Chi Honor Society, With Distinction, Nova Southeastern University, College of Psychology
- Multi-State Bar Lab, Book Award, Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, 2018
- Property, Book Award, Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, 2017
- Torts, Book Award, Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, 2016
- Contracts, Book Award, Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, 2016
- Dean's List, Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, 2018
- Dean's List, Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, 2017
- Dean's List, Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, 2016
- Goodwin Scholarship recipient, Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center
- U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms", U.S. News & World Report, 2021
- U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms", U.S. News & World Report, 2022
Educational Background:
- Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, 2016-2019
- Nova Southeastern University - Bachelor of Psychology, with distinction
Scholarly Lectures / Writings:
- Wild civil and criminal litigation filed in South Florida’s state and federal courts has exposed an allegedly pernicious web of political corruption stretching from Southwest Ranches Town Hall to the Davie Police Department and on to State Attorney Harold Pryor himself [...] “Poliakoff played the central role in directing and executing the unlawful actions against Cielo Farms, including legal misrepresentations, regulatory manipulation, and obstruction of Plaintiff’s business operations,” says the complaint written by Fort Lauderdale father and son lawyers Ken and Joshua Padowitz. Their 65-page complaint goes on to label Poliakoff as a Democratic political operative and “kingmaker of the Town.” [...] In Broward Circuit Court, Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground (SYG) law is at the core of Rodriguez Albisu’s criminal defense., Featured Law Firm, Corruption allegations target Southwest Ranches, Davie PD and State Attorney Pryor, Florida Bulldog, 2025
- For some attorneys, the call to become a lawyer drives them beyond simply winning; it inspires them to disrupt the legal profession and improve it. These are lawyers whose expertise, passion, and purpose set them apart. [...] Joshua’s journey has been about more than personal growth—he’s helped refine Kenneth Padowitz, P.A. into the top-tier, nationally renowned criminal defense litigation firm it is today. With each case, Joshua Padowitz shatters conventional legal practice, devising innovative strategies that reshape his clients' futures and redefine the contours of criminal law itself. [...], Featured Attorney, Top 10 Lawyers To Look Out For, MSN, 2025
- A Broward County judge broke new ground this week during a stand-your-ground hearing on Tuesday and Wednesday, by allowing the defendant to use Oculus Quest 2 headsets to present, in virtual reality, a visualization of an expert’s opinion in the form of a forensic animation. This innovative approach was the brainchild of Fort Lauderdale attorneys Kenneth and Joshua Padowitz, who petitioned the court to allow the forensic animation to assist the fact finder in understanding a crime scene reconstructionist’s opinion as to what transpired during a riotous scene, which ultimately led to their client's arrest. [...] Read the motion to dismiss here. [...], Featured Attorney, Virtual Reality Debuts in Florida Courtroom, LAW.COM, 2024
- “Stand Your Ground” laws have been a topic of significant debate in the United States, particularly because they vary greatly from state to state. These laws, which allow individuals to use force non-deadly and deadly force in self-defense, defense of others, and defense of property without the duty to retreat when faced with a perceived threat, can have profound implications for both citizens and criminal defendants. In this article, we’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of these laws, with a specific focus on comparing their application in Florida versus New York, two heavily populated states arguably on opposite sides of the “self-defense” legal spectrum [...], Featured Attorney, Self-Defense in New York vs. Florida: A Comparative Analysis, New York Weekly, 2024
- The rise of social media and digital communication has transformed how we connect, but it has also opened the door to cybercrime and harmful behaviours, including cyberbullying. While often dismissed as mere online squabbles, cyberbullying can have severe consequences, both for victims and perpetrators. According to Joshua Padowitz of Kenneth Padowitz, P.A., a criminal law firm located in Broward County, Florida, dealing with cybercrime cases, online harassment becomes a criminal offence under U.S. law when it includes credible threats, stalking, or repeated behaviour intended to cause fear, emotional distress, or harm, violating federal or state statutes., Featured Attorney, Cyberbullying and the Law: When Does Online Harassment Become a Criminal Offense?, HackRead, 2024
- Amendment 3 aimed to permit adults to possess up to three ounces of marijuana and five grams of cannabis concentrate for personal use. It also proposed allowing existing Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers to sell marijuana to adults for recreational purposes. Despite receiving a majority vote, the amendment did not meet Florida's stringent 60% threshold for constitutional changes [...] Criminal attorney Joshua Padowitz, who has extensive experience in drug-related cases, both as prosecutor and defense attorney, offers insights into the implications of the amendment's failure. "The defeat of Amendment 3 means that individuals in Florida will continue to face criminal penalties for possession of marijuana, even in small amounts," Padowitz explains. "This perpetuates a flawed, unjust system where non-violent offenders are subjected to legal consequences that can have lasting effects on their lives." [...], Featured Attorney, Another Setback for Recreational Marijuana in Florida..., Cannabis.net, 2024
- To learn more about the overall racial disparities of Stand Your Ground laws, we consulted with Joshua Padowitz of Kenneth Padowitz, P.A., a criminal defense attorney and nationally acclaimed legal expert on self-defense and Stand Your Ground laws. [...], Featured Attorney, Racial Disparities in the Application of Stand Your Ground Laws, Law Fuel, 2024
- In light of the ongoing legal issues surrounding [...] the rapper Young Thug, we reached out to Kenneth Padowitz, P.A., a reputable, nationally recognized federal criminal defense law firm located in Broward County, Florida, to discuss the complexities of his case., Featured Attorney, Legal Q&A with a Federal Criminal Defense Attorney on the Young Thug RICO Case, The Source, 2024
- Navigating the legal landscape can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a budding lawyer, a curious client, or someone with a general interest in the law, there’s always something new to learn. We contacted a number of highly-rated, young attorneys (recent grads or under age 35) from Avvo.com and SuperLawyers.com and asked them to complete a questionnaire on various topics curated by our readers for possible inclusion in one of our articles. Here are 20 of the most frequently asked questions, along with well-thought answers, from Joshua Padowitz, Esq., a former prosecutor and “2024 rising star” criminal defense attorney practicing in Broward County, Florida […], Featured Attorney, 20 Questions Asked and Answered by a Young, Successful Attorney, The Good Men Project, 2024
- To gain insights into this transformation, we spoke with former assistant state attorney Joshua Padowitz, a forward-thinking criminal defense lawyer based in Broward County, Florida, who alongside his father law-partner (selected as one of “America’s Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys” and a true "legal legend" in his own right, Kenneth Padowitz), is at the forefront of integrating technology into legal practices. [...], Featured Attorney, Revolutionizing the Courtroom: How Technology is Transforming Legal Work and Trials, BOSS Magazine, 2024
- A judge in Florida used a Quest 2 VR headset to view a recreation of events in which a defendant pulled a gun out at a wedding [...] In the Florida case, a video circulated in local media and online depicts one view from the night the defendant was arrested. Padowitz wants to show the jury another perspective via a VR headset, should his client's case get that far [...], Featured Law Firm, A Florida Judge Used Quest 2 In A Courtroom, UploadVR, 2025
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