Attorney Profiles
Michael E. Lawlor
Michael Lawlor worked for the law firm of Bennett & Nathans from 1997 to 2004, when he became a partner and formed the law firm of Bennett & Lawlor, LLP. Mr. Lawlor’s practice spans most areas of criminal law, including state and federal felony trial work, state and federal appeals, and state and federal post-conviction proceedings.
Mr. Lawlor has represented clients in numerous state post-conviction and federal habeas cases. Mr. Lawlor, along with Ms. Englert, currently represents many clients with pending post-conviction cases and Motions to Reopen. Mr. Lawlor has also been appointed by the United States District Court for the District of Maryland to represent inmates who have filed federal habeas petitions. Mr. Lawlor recently handled a federal habeas corpus action that resulted in the vacating of a 235-month sentence (U.S. v. Duckett). Mr. Duckett was released from jail shortly after his hearing.
Mr. Lawlor has drafted briefs filed in the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, the Court of Appeals of Maryland, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He has appealed cases to the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Recently, Mr. Lawlor successfully briefed and argued a case in the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland that resulted in a new trial in a case where the client had been convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to life imprisonment (State v. Wilkins).
In addition to appellate and post-conviction matters, Mr. Lawlor handles felony trials in both State and federal court. He tried a capital murder case in Prince George’s County, State v. James Logan that resulted in a conviction for second degree murder (later reversed on appeal). Mr. Lawlor completed a seven week murder trial in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland (U.S. v. Flood) and obtained a dismissal of charges for a client charged with attempted first degree murder (State v. Alford). He has represented clients charged with rape, armed robbery, car jacking, and drug offenses.
Mr. Lawlor also has substantial experience in capital cases. Mr. Lawlor assisted in the briefing of two direct appeals to the Court of Appeals of Maryland, Oken v. State and Borchardt v. State, both of which challenged the constitutionality of the Maryland death penalty statute in light of the Supreme Court decisions in Apprendi v. New Jersey and Ring v. Arizona. In addition to his work on the Oken and Borchardt cases, as well as his representation of the defendant in State v. Logan, he currently represents a defendant on Maryland’s death row as well as an individual charged with a capital crime in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
Mr. Lawlor graduated from the Columbus School of Law in 1997. He is admitted to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit, and in the United States District Courts for the District of Maryland and the District of Columbia. He is a member of the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys’ Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Sicilia C. Englert
Sicilia C. Englert has represented numerous clients in various stages of criminal court proceedings, including: trial; pretrial motions; bond review hearings; sentencing; motions for reconsideration of sentence; appeal; juvenile matters; post-conviction; and habeas proceedings.
Ms. Englert is experienced in seeking relief for clients based on a wide variety of issues, such as defective jury instructions, mistake, sentencing errors, prosecution’s failure to disclose evidence under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963), delay in presentment pursuant to Williams v. State, 375 Md. 404 (2003), and ineffective assistance of counsel pursuant to Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984). Ms. Englert has represented numerous clients on direct appeal and drafted briefs filed in the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Additionally, Ms. Englert has drafted numerous petitions for post-conviction relief as well as applications for leave to appeal and motions to reopen a previously concluded post-conviction case.
Ms. Englert was previously a criminal law Staff Attorney for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, California, where she reviewed direct appeal and habeas corpus cases and recommended dispositions to three-judge panels of the court. Additionally, she was responsible for reviewing and recommending dispositions on applications for certificates of appealability and various motions filed with the court.
Ms. Englert served briefly as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia where she tried cases regarding drug offenses, assault, destruction of property, theft, and prostitution.
Ms. Englert graduated from George Mason University School of Law in 1994, and is admitted to practice law in in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the District of Maryland, the District of Columbia, and the Eastern District of Virginia. She is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys’ Association.
