About Sean
Sean McIlhinney trained as a courtroom lawyer from the start. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communications from North Carolina State University in 1991. He then completed his legal studies at Georgia State University College of Law, receiving his J.D. in 1995 after coursework that included evidence and criminal defense.
Early work in Georgia courts shaped McIlhinney’s approach. He served as a law clerk at Gwinnett County Juvenile Court in 1993 and later at Fulton Superior Court in 1995. Those clerkships exposed him to both juvenile and adult dockets and helped him learn how trial preparation and courtroom procedure intersect in practical ways.
After law school he moved into private practice. In 1996 he joined King & Spalding as an associate. That role offered experience in a large firm environment, where he worked on matters that required careful factual development and procedural precision. A few years later he took an entrepreneurial step. By 1999 he was a partner at McIlhinney Law, a practice that eventually operated as McIlhinney Law Group.
McIlhinney’s training includes specific instruction in DUI field sobriety testing under Ron Llyod. That credential reflects time spent understanding forensic and scientific elements that can arise in criminal and traffic cases. He has maintained professional association membership since 1996, a span that covers his career from early associate positions through partnership and ongoing practice.
His practice history mixes public-sector and private-sector experience. The early clerkships gave him courtroom familiarity; the stint at King & Spalding introduced large-firm process; the subsequent partnership established him as a firm-side practitioner in Georgia. Throughout, he has handled matters that require courtroom presence, evidentiary analysis and client counseling.
Today he practices from McIlhinney Law Group in Georgia. He splits time between case preparation and appearances in state courts. His current practice concentrates on criminal defense and related issues in Georgia courts.
