Josh A. Kaplan

About Josh

Josh is a founding partner at Dizik Kaplan and a leading criminal defense attorney in Oakland County. His background is genuinely unusual: before law school, he worked as a counter-terrorism research analyst in Washington, D.C. at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and as a fellow at The Heritage Foundation — experience that gave him a researcher's instinct for pulling apart arguments and finding weaknesses in evidence. He earned his J.D. from Cardozo School of Law in New York in 2012.

What sets Josh apart most concretely is his prosecutorial background. From 2012 through 2022 — a full decade — he served as City Prosecutor for the City of Romulus, Michigan. That decade on the prosecution side is the most valuable credential a criminal defense attorney can have: he knows how criminal cases are built, what prosecutors look for, how charging decisions are made, which cases they'll fight hard to win and which ones have exploitable weaknesses. That knowledge now works entirely in his clients' favor.

Since returning to private practice, Josh has built a criminal defense practice focused on serious charges — OWI/DUI defense, drug offenses, felony charges, white collar crimes, and domestic violence defense. He also handles driver's license restoration proceedings and expungements. In every matter, the prosecutorial background shapes how he evaluates a case: what the government has, what they'd need to prove at trial, and where the case is most vulnerable to challenge.

Josh is admitted to all Michigan state courts and is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, Wayne County Bar Association, and Federal Bar Association. He has served as a Hearing Panelist on the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board — a position that reflects the legal community's confidence in his professional judgment. He has also been active in community affairs through the Michigan Council of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Representing Athletes, Executives, Physicians, and Public Figures

For a professional athlete, a physician, or a corporate executive, a criminal charge carries consequences that extend far beyond the courtroom. A DUI arrest can generate immediate media coverage. A domestic violence charge can trigger league suspensions and contract termination provisions. A drug offense can initiate licensing board proceedings before a conviction even occurs. For these clients, the question is never only "will I go to jail?" — it is "will my career survive this?" and "how do I protect my reputation, my license, and my livelihood while this plays out?"

Josh has experience representing professional athletes, physicians, business executives, and other professionals and public figures where the intersection of criminal law and career preservation demands both aggressive defense and careful judgment about every aspect of the matter.

Professional athletes. Criminal charges against athletes — particularly OWI/DUI, domestic violence, assault, and drug offenses — can trigger automatic suspension clauses in contracts, league conduct policies (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB each have distinct personal conduct frameworks), and endorsement agreement termination provisions. The defense strategy must account for these collateral consequences from the first moment of representation, not as an afterthought. An attorney who understands only the criminal exposure — and not the contractual and reputational exposure — is not equipped to protect these clients fully.

Physicians and licensed healthcare professionals. An OWI conviction, drug offense, or certain violent crime triggers mandatory self-reporting obligations to the Michigan Board of Medicine and can initiate licensing proceedings entirely independent of the criminal case. A criminal charge can end a medical career even without a conviction. Defending the criminal matter well — challenging admissibility, pursuing diversion under MCL 769.4a or HYTA where applicable, or negotiating a resolution that avoids certain convictions — directly protects the professional license. Josh's prosecutorial background makes him particularly effective here: he knows what the government needs to prove and where their cases are most vulnerable.

Corporate executives and business owners. White collar allegations, financial crimes, and even OWI charges can trigger employment agreement provisions, breach of fiduciary duty claims, damage to business partnerships, and affect professional licensing. Early, decisive representation — including engagement before charges are formally filed — is often the most valuable service a criminal defense attorney can provide. Josh has experience working at the charging stage, before a preliminary examination locks in the factual record, where the most leverage often exists.

Discretion. High-profile criminal matters require a different kind of professional judgment. Josh handles these representations with the confidentiality, strategic communication, and deliberate decision-making that clients in the public eye require.

Practice Areas

Education

• Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law — J.D., 2012
• Michigan State University James Madison College — B.A., Political Theory, Constitutional Democracy & International Relations (Dean's List; Graduated With High Honors)

Honors & Awards

• Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2019–2023
• Top Lawyer, DBusiness Magazine

Professional Experience

• City Prosecutor, City of Romulus, 2012–2022
• Research Analyst, Center for Terrorism Research, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, 2008–2009
• Fellow, The Heritage Foundation

Bar Admissions & Credentials

• State Bar of Michigan, licensed to practice in all Michigan state courts
• Oakland County Bar Association
• Wayne County Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Michigan Attorney Discipline Board (Hearing Panelist)

Community Involvement

• Michigan Council, American Israel Public Affairs Committee