Steve Kilburn - Lebanon, OH

Steve Kilburn is a Warren County native who lives with his wife in Morrow. He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 2010 magna cum laude as an honors scholar. He attended the University of Dayton School of Law on an academic scholarship where he served as a staff writer and comment editor for the University of Dayton Law Review in the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years, respectively. While in law school, Steve clerked at Warren County Juvenile & Probate Court under Honorable Judge Michael Powell. He graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law in the spring of 2013 and was admitted to the practice of law that same year.

After law school, Steve acquired experience in personal injury and medical malpractice. In 2014, however, Steve joined the Rittgers firm and discovered his passion for representing clients facing criminal, traffic, and juvenile delinquency charges. His practice at Rittgers Rittgers & Nakajima is focused nearly exclusively on criminal, traffic, and juvenile delinquency defense in Southwest Ohio.

Steve has a strong record of success when defending suspects involved with criminal investigations or defending individuals charged with criminal, traffic, or juvenile offenses. For instance, he has resolved many cases favorably for clients who were facing various non-violent and violent misdemeanor and felony convictions, lengthy jail and prison sentences, OVI/DUI convictions, embarrassing sex offender registration requirements, and burdensome driver's license suspensions. In countless situations, he has either successfully prevented criminal charges from being filed against his clients, has minimized the severe impact of charges, or has achieved a not-guilty verdicts for his clients following bench trials and jury trials.

Because of his experience as a criminal defense lawyer, Steve understands the government often over-charges individuals and can rush to judgment, make unfair assumptions, and rely upon non-credible information when charging folks with crimes. He also understands that frequently, people make bad decisions due to a mental health issue or stress, a substance abuse issue, or just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Regardless of the situation, Steve understands that every person who is either facing or is charged with a crime is a human being who needs and deserves a competent, skillful, and hard-working lawyer on their side.

Steve is thorough, treats every case as though it is own, and is willing to go the extra mile for his clients. He feels fortunate to be able to help people during what is often the most scary and uncertain time of their lives.