Profile
John Deaton is a U.S. Marine veteran, cancer survivor, father to three daughters, trial attorney, author and someone who overcame impossible odds to build a life for his family and become a champion for other underdogs.
John went on to college at Eastern Michigan University. In his junior year, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent treatment while still pursuing his degree. Against all odds, John graduated from Eastern Michigan magna cum laude and was accepted into Boston’s New England School of Law in 1992. Barely able to afford tuition, John found affordable rent in Roxbury and worked many hours as a runner and server at Legal Seafoods. John graduated New England School of Law cum laude in 1995.
While in law school, John enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was selected to represent Massachusetts over students from surrounding law schools, including Harvard. In 1994, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. John was assigned as a Judge Advocate at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona where he served first as Marine Senior Defense Counsel and then as Chief Prosecutor. John also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. After completing his duties in Arizona, John became an Evidence and Trial Advocacy Instructor at the Naval Justice School and Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. John continues to teach Trial Advocacy and Evidence at Roger Williams School of Law and recently coached the Mock Trial team for UMass Law. Following a non-combat injury, John was medically retired from the Marines in 2002. For his service, John received the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal.
For over twenty years, John has been practicing law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and surrounding states, representing mesothelioma and cancer victims against Fortune 100 companies. In 2006, with small children and massive student loan debt, John decided to take a chance and founded his own small law practice where he continued to specialize in advocating for victims and their families. John not only fought for asbestos victims in court, but also traveled to Washington D.C. to oppose legislation that would ban asbestos litigation and leave victims without options.