About Ryan
Ryan Moran-Asalone built his early practice inside Virginia's public defender offices. He began as a law student fellow at the Richmond Public Defender's Office in 2016. That role exposed him to courtroom rhythm and client interviews. It also put him in the middle of the day-to-day work of criminal defense at an early point in his training.
He moved into an Assistant Public Defender position in Hampton in 2018. There he handled a heavy caseload that included misdemeanor and felony matters. His work involved arraignments, motions hearings and trials. Colleagues remember him for steady courtroom presence and attention to case preparation.
By 2021 he had joined the Portsmouth Public Defender's Office as a Deputy Public Defender. That post added supervisory responsibilities and a broader docket. He worked on more complex trials and mentored newer attorneys. The shift traced a clear through-line: longer-term defense representation and a deeper engagement with trial practice.
Moran-Asalone holds multiple certifications from the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. He is certified for misdemeanor and felony representation, and he also carries certification for juvenile representation. Those credentials reflect formal recognition of competence across the range of criminal matters handled in Virginia courts. They also allow him to accept cases in several different parts of the criminal calendar, from preliminary hearings to contested trials involving youth.
After more than half a decade in public defense roles, he entered private practice. He is listed with Select Law Partners, PLLC, where he continues to work in Virginia. His practice draws on years of courtroom experience and the procedural knowledge that comes from representing clients across varied municipal and circuit court dockets. Colleagues note that he frames facts plainly for judges and juries, and he prepares witnesses and clients for the stresses of trial.
Outside of courtroom hours he has continued to refine litigation skills through routine case work rather than public-facing scholarship or widely published commentary. He has remained in roles that require steady case management and regular courtroom appearances. As of 2026 he practices in Virginia and handles criminal defense matters at Select Law Partners, PLLC, representing clients in misdemeanor, felony, and juvenile cases.
