AttorneySean L. Walton
Walton + Brown, LLP
395 E Broad St Suite 200, Columbus, Ohio, 43215
Ohio's Civil Rights Advocate
Sean Walton is a prominent civil rights and personal injury attorney based in Columbus, Ohio, and a founding partner of Walton + Brown, LLP. Since 2018, he has been consistently recognized as a Rising Star in Ohio by Super Lawyers — an honor reserved for only 2.5% of attorneys statewide — and Columbus Business First named him one of the ten "People to Know in the Law." He has dedicated his legal career to representing individuals whose constitutional rights have been violated by law enforcement and government entities, with a particular emphasis on cases involving excessive force, wrongful arrest, and police misconduct.
Walton has litigated cases against municipal police departments, county sheriff offices, and state agencies throughout Ohio, holding law enforcement accountable for unconstitutional conduct. His work has earned national recognition, with his insights featured in The Washington Post, NBC Nightly News, and CNN. He earned his B.A. from the University of Cincinnati as a Coca-Cola Darwin T. Turner Scholar and his J.D. from Capital University Law School as a Presidential Merit Scholar, where he was later honored as the 2020 Graduate of the Last Decade and continues to teach civil rights law as an adjunct professor.
Sean's community and professional leadership is extensive. He received the 2023 Poindexter Award from Columbus City Council and the 2021 Barrister's Salute from the John Mercer Langston Bar Association. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Association for Justice — where he founded the civil rights section — and represents Ohio on the Board of Trustees of the American Association for Justice. He also serves on the Axon Ethics & Equity Advisory Council, advising the company from a racial equity and ethics perspective.
Beyond individual case representation, Walton has worked alongside community organizations and activists to push for broader police reform and accountability measures, reflecting a deep commitment to ensuring that marginalized communities have access to skilled legal representation when confronting governmental misconduct.
Notable Results
- Secured over $42 million in settlements and verdicts
- Center of high-profile Columbus police shooting cases resulting in seven-figure settlements
Key Characteristics
- Founding partner of Walton + Brown, LLP, a firm dedicated exclusively to civil rights and police misconduct litigation in Ohio.
- Has litigated civil rights cases against municipal police departments, county sheriffs, and state government agencies throughout Ohio.
- Recognized for his public advocacy on police reform, racial justice, and constitutional accountability at the local and state level.
- Frequently sought by media outlets for commentary on civil rights issues and high-profile police misconduct cases in Ohio.
- Works closely with community organizations and activists to pursue both individual remedies and systemic law enforcement reform.
- Frequently featured as a civil rights commentator in national media including The Washington Post, NBC Nightly News, and CNN
- Recipient of the 2023 Poindexter Award from Columbus City Council recognizing political, legal, and community leadership
- Recipient of the 2021 Barrister's Salute from the John Mercer Langston Bar Association
- Adjunct professor at Capital University Law School teaching civil rights law
- Founded the civil rights section of the Ohio Association for Justice and serves on its Board of Trustees
- Serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Association for Justice as Ohio's representative
- Member of the Axon Ethics & Equity Advisory Council, advising the tech company on racial equity and ethics