John S. Han - Norristown, PA
Attorney at High Swartz LLP
Criminal Law Lawyers in Norristown, PA
40 East Airy Street Norristown, PA 19401
Norristown Criminal Law Lawyer
Updated: 02/16/2026
Areas of Practice
- Criminal Law
- DUI Offenses
- Drug Offenses
- Felonies
- Military Crimes
- Misdemeanors
- Summary Offenses
- Traffic Violations
- White Collar Crime
Attorney Information
Overview
Born in Seoul, South Korea, John S. Han immigrated to the United States with his parents and younger sister at six. He would later graduate with Class Honors from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Economics in 1990. John then attended The American University, Washington College of Law, earning his Juris Doctor Degree in 1993. Before graduating from law school, John accepted a commission as an officer in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps and served on active duty from 1993 to 1999. During his naval service, John successfully performed duties as a defense counsel, prosecutor, and general counsel. As a defense counsel stationed in San Francisco, California, and Naples, Italy, John provided high-quality and zealous representation of Navy and Marine Corps service members charged with serious felony offenses involving murder, sexual assault, drug trafficking, and fraud. He obtained 7sevenfull acquittals in contested trials on behalf of his clients.
John received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Navy in 1999. From 2000 to the present, he has continued his military service in the United States Navy Reserve. Respected for his extensive trial experience, knowledge of the law, and superior writing ability, John was appointed to the bench in 2010. From 2010 to 2014, he served as a Military Trial Judge for the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary. He presided over felony court-martial cases involving sexual assault, violent crime, drug trafficking, child pornography, and fraud. In addition to his judicial experience, John served as the Commanding Officer of two Reserve units and currently holds the rank of Captain in the United States Navy Reserve. From 2000 to 2006, John served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. In this capacity, he prosecuted numerous jury and bench trials in cases involving public corruption, fraud, white-collar crime, and violent crime. John was the lead prosecutor in complex and lengthy grand jury investigations. He also conducted criminal investigations of police officers accused of wrongful use of deadly force, corruption, and civil rights violations.
In December 2006, John left the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office to begin his career as a Trial Attorney in the United States Department of Justice in the Organized Crime and Gang Section. From 2006 to 2021, he investigated and prosecuted major federal RICO and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering cases against national and international organized crime groups, including the Mafia and violent street gangs. From 2008 to 2019, John successfully prosecuted several members and associates of the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Family. In these complex and wide-ranging prosecutions of criminal organizations, he acquired substantial experience conducting financial investigations, pursuing wiretap investigations, and charging fraud and money laundering offenses.
John sits on the Board of Directors for the Montgomery Bar Association and is a Judicial Council Member for the National Asian Pacific Bar Association. He was honored when selected to serve on the Federal Criminal Justice Act Panel in the Eastern District of PA. The CJA panel is comprised of attorneys chosen by the Board of Judges who possess the competence, experience, and commitment to provide outstanding criminal defense representation for indigent people facing prosecution in federal criminal cases.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Military and Veteran Service Award
- U.S. Department of Justice Special Achievement Award
- ATF Honor Award
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Navy Commendation Medal
- Navy Achievement Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Armed Forces Reserve Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Education
-
Legal Education
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American University, Washington College of Law,
Washington,
District of Columbia
Juris Doctor
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American University, Washington College of Law,
Washington,
District of Columbia
-
Non Legal Education
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University of Michigan
B.A., Economics -
New York University
Economics and Political Justice
-
University of Michigan
Current Employment Position(s)
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Criminal Defense Attorney
Languages
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English
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Korean
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Italian
Pro Bono Activities
- Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation, Board Member (2022 to present)
- Montgomery County Community College Foundation, Board Member (2023 to present)
- Member of American Legion Post 769, Ambler, PA (2023 to present)
- Wissahickon Trails – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Member (2023 to present)
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- New York
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
Other Affiliations
- Montgomery County Bar Association, Board of Directors (2023 to present)
- Hearing Committee Member, Disciplinary Board of Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (2023 to present)
- Merit Selection Panel Member for Re-Appointment of U.S. Magistrate Judges for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (2022-2023)
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Judicial Council Member (2010 to present)
- Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Montgomery County Bar Association - Criminal Defense Committee
- Montgomery County Bar Association - Federal Court Practice Committee
- Federal Bar Association
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania
Contact
40 East Airy Street
Norristown, PA 19401
Phone: 610-275-0700
Email: Send a message
-
https://highswartz.com/
-
https://highswartz.com/contact-us/
(Contact Us)
- https://highswartz.com/legal-insights/ (Legal Insights)
Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm M-F
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