About Max
Max Hiltner earned his law degree from the University of Akron School of Law in 2010 after completing a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science at Ashland University in 2006. He spent his law school years in clinic and appellate settings, serving as director of the Inmate Assistance Program at the University of Akron’s legal clinic in 2012 and as a certified legal intern in the Appellate Review Office the same year. Those early roles exposed him to client advocacy inside correctional systems and to the mechanics of appellate practice.
After law school he moved into private practice and courtroom work. In 2013 he worked at Mannion & Gray, first as a law clerk and then as an associate lawyer. The following year he joined Mills, Mills, Fiely & Lucas as of counsel while also founding his own practice, The Hiltner Law Office. He has been listed as a lawyer and owner of that firm since 2014. His resume also shows a stint as a volunteer assistant track coach at the University of Akron in 2011, a reminder of his ties to the university community during and after his legal training.
Hiltner is admitted to practice in both West Virginia and Ohio. He holds federal admissions as well: he has been admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio since 2013 and to the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia since 2014. On the association side, he has been a member of the American Bar Association, the Akron Bar Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 2013. Those memberships reflect ongoing professional engagement across state and national legal circles.
Throughout his career Hiltner has worked on matters that touch both trial and appellate processes. His work in the inmate assistance program and the appellate review office during law school suggests experience with post-conviction and appellate issues, while his later practice and bar admissions indicate regular courtroom involvement. He has combined solo practice with of-counsel roles, balancing casework and the administrative responsibilities of running a small firm.
He now practices from The Hiltner Law Office, representing clients in matters arising in Ohio and West Virginia and appearing in the federal district courts to which he is admitted. His current practice concentrates on criminal defense and appellate matters.
