Jon R. Burns
Jon Burns has devoted himself to trial work for more than a decade, with a practice that now encompasses family law, criminal defense, and general civil litigation.
Jon counsels clients regarding a wide array of complex legal problems arising in their personal and professional lives, with an emphasis on issues related to divorce, equitable distribution, child custody, child support, spousal support (postseparation support and alimony), domestic violence, sexual assault, alienation of affection and criminal conversation, invasion of privacy, electronic hacking and wiretapping, criminal investigations, white collar crime, and other serious felony matters.
Jon relishes finding creative solutions as much as he does trying cases, and he has recently been recognized as one of North Carolina’s current top Family Law attorneys through his selection to the Business North Carolina 2021 Legal Elite.
Before joining JMD, Jon served for more than five years as an assistant district attorney, where he achieved conviction after trial by jury as lead counsel for the State in many different types of cases, including murder, theft, drug trafficking, methamphetamine manufacture, and impaired driving.
Raised in Charlotte, Jon graduated from Myers Park High School before earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Directly thereafter, he continued to live and work in Chapel Hill while he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Academic Background
- J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, 2009
- B.A., Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006
- B.A., Journalism/News Writing-Editorial sequence, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006
Bar & Court Admissions
- North Carolina State Bar
- United States District Court, Western District of North Carolina
Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Mecklenburg County Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Mecklenburg County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
- North Carolina Bar Association, Family Law Section
- North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Criminal Defense Section
- North Carolina Advocates for Justice, New Lawyers Division
Professional Recognition
- Business North Carolina Legal Elite in Family Law, 2021
- Mecklenburg County Bar Leadership Institute Graduate, 2021
- Best Lawyers in America© in Criminal Defense: General Practice, 2024
Related News
- Best Lawyers in America© 2024 Honors James, McElroy & Diehl Attorneys
- Carrie Weyandt and Jon Burns Chosen for Mecklenburg Bar Leadership Institute
- JMD Attorneys Elected to Business North Carolina 2021 Legal Elite
- Latest Update: JMD and COVID-19
- Custody and Visitation Recommendations During COVID-19
- James, McElroy & Diehl Announces Three New Partners
- Charges Dropped Against Charlotte Demonstrator Chanting ‘Love,’ During Scott Protest
