Jim Makowski.
Michigan's Premier Attorney
in High-Stakes Defense.
When your freedom, career, or Second Amendment rights are on the line, you need Michigan's most trusted advocate, with 25 years of proven results statewide.
Detroit's Gun
Defense Lawyer.
Your Second Amendment Rights Deserve a Real Fight.
From CPL defense to felony firearm charges, Jim Makowski is Michigan's preeminent firearms attorney, Corporation Counsel for Michigan Gun Owners, Inc. and the legal voice behind Michigan's USCCA CPL curriculum.
Your Career Is Not
Collateral Damage.
Defense for Professionals
Who Can't Afford a Conviction.
A charge doesn't have to end your license or livelihood. Jim Makowski secures non-public results for nurses, CDL drivers, teachers, and executives, because some cases demand more than a plea bargain.
The Insurance Companies
Have an Army.
You Have Jim.
Unlike high-volume firms, Jim Makowski handles your case personally, with 25 years of trial experience and zero tolerance for lowball settlements.
I Don't Just Take Cases.
I Defend People.
There are plenty of lawyers in Metro Detroit. There is only one Jim Makowski.
For 25 years, I have fought high-stakes battles for law-abiding gun owners, professionals with their licenses on the line, and families facing catastrophic loss across more than 60 of Michigan's 83 counties. As Corporation Counsel for Michigan Gun Owners, Inc. and the attorney behind the USCCA's Michigan CPL legal curriculum, I don't just know the law. I helped shape it.
When you call Makowski Legal, you get me, not a case manager, not a junior associate. Me.
Learn How I Work
Practice Areas
Gun Law & 2A Advocacy
Protecting Your Second Amendment
Rights Across Michigan
I don't just read the Second Amendment. I defend it in court. Whether you are a CPL holder facing revocation, a Detroit gun owner charged with a weapons offense, or a collector navigating NFA trust compliance, you need an attorney who knows firearms law from the inside out. I wrote the legal curriculum. I know the statutes. I know the judges. I protect good citizens from being treated like criminals.
Defending Your Rights In:
Criminal Defense
High-Stakes Defense for Professionals
Who Can't Afford to Lose
A charge is not a conviction, but only if you have the right attorney. I focus on aggressive discovery, scientific defense strategies, and creative sentencing advocacy to protect your license, your career, and your freedom. From OWI defense for Metro Detroit CDL drivers to felony charges for high-net-worth professionals, I fight to keep your record clean and your future intact.
Defending Your Rights In:
Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice
Leveling the Playing Field Against
Insurance Companies and Hospital Systems
Insurance companies have armies of adjusters and attorneys designed to deny your claim and minimize your settlement. I level that playing field. From catastrophic auto accidents on Metro Detroit roads to surgical errors and medical negligence, I fight personally, with 25 years of trial experience and zero tolerance for lowball offers. You are not a file number. You are a family worth protecting.
Defending Your Rights In:
Recognized Excellence
Michigan Gun Owners, Inc.
Corporation Counsel
Super
Lawyers
AVVO
10.0 Rating
State Bar
of Michigan
Recent Results
Full Acquittal
Michigan
Facing attempted murder charges and over a decade in prison, an employed father and Eagle Scout was forced to defend himself during an extreme road rage incident.
After being boxed in at 75mph and repeatedly rammed by an aggressive driver with a felony record, the client fired a single shot in self-defense.
Following a four-day trial and just a 15-minute closing argument by our team, the jury deliberated for only two hours before returning a full acquittal, allowing our client to return home to his family.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique and depends on specific facts and legal circumstances.
About Jim Makowski
Jim Makowski
Founder & Principal Attorney
Leading authority on Michigan 2A issues, Corporation Counsel for Michigan Gun Owners, Inc., and a fearless advocate for those facing catastrophic life changes.
Direct Phone:
313-434-3900
E-mail Address:
info@makowskilegal.com
Expertise
I'm Jim Makowski, and I'll be straight with you from the start.
For 25 years I have fought for law-abiding citizens across Michigan when the stakes were too high to hand off to anyone else. I am Corporation Counsel for Michigan Gun Owners, Inc., a legal advisor to Michigan Open Carry, Inc., and the attorney who wrote the legal portion of the USCCA's Michigan CPL curriculum. If you have taken a concealed carry class in Michigan, there is a good chance you have already heard me on video.
I have practiced in more than 60 of Michigan's 83 counties, from Wayne and Oakland to the Upper Peninsula, because when clients need Michigan's foremost firearms attorney, they find me regardless of geography.
I don't run a billboard firm. I don't hand cases to junior associates. When you hire me, you work with me directly, personally, and without the runaround. That is not a marketing line. That is how I practice law.
In the News
Arrested 2 Days Before His Wedding: The Jonathan Dowling Story
April 2026A Taylor, Michigan man draws his legally carried firearm to protect his family from an aggressive pit bull and its threatening owner — and finds himself arrested two days before his wedding, facing felonious assault and felony firearm charges. Attorney Jim Makowski secured a full dismissal at the preliminary examination stage.
Read Full Story
Inspiring Conversations With Jim Makowski of Makowski Legal
April 7, 2026An in-depth profile covering Jim's career, his role with Michigan Gun Owners and the USCCA, a Michigan Supreme Court win, and his direct-access approach to client representation.
Read Interview
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