About John
John Christl built a career that moves from the prosecutorial side of the courtroom to private practice. He trained in communications before he trained in the law. That background shaped a straightforward approach to trial work and client conversations.
Christl earned a B.A. in Public Speaking and Communications from the University of Southern California in 1986. He later completed his legal education at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, receiving his J.D. in 1992. Those years combined academic study of argumentation with formal legal training.
He began his prosecutorial career in Riverside County. In 1995 he served as a Deputy District Lawyer there. Three years later he joined the Orange County District Lawyer's Office as a Senior Deputy District Lawyer. Those posts placed him in busy trial dockets and day-to-day courtroom practice for several years.
In 2016 Christl left government work to open his own firm. He became President and CEO of the Law Office of John F. Christl, A Professional Corporation. Around the same time he joined the Orange County Bar Association and remains a member. The move to private practice allowed him to apply his courtroom experience to client representation.
Christl is a California Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist through the State Bar of California. That certification signals a professional focus on criminal matters and time spent practicing in that area. It also reflects a formal recognition by the bar of specialized competence in criminal law.
Colleagues and clients meet a lawyer who spent significant years inside two district attorneys' offices and then moved into private practice. He handles criminal cases and related legal issues that arise out of those matters. His practice balances court appearances, case preparation, and client counseling in Orange County and the surrounding region.
Today he manages his firm and continues to represent people in criminal matters. His current practice focuses on criminal defense and related proceedings.
