James Thomas “Tommy” Stolly grew up in Bellefontaine, Ohio, and graduated from Bellefontaine High School. Tommy earned his B.A. from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and went on to earn his J.D. from Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. During law school, Tommy served as President of the Student Bar Association and as an advocate for ONU’s criminal procedure Moot Court team. Prior to attending law school, Tommy was trained as an educator and still regularly consults in leadership development for gifted and talented students.
As a new attorney, Tommy practiced in civil litigation. After relocating to Los Angeles, California, Tommy continued to gain experience in litigation, including contract disputes and franchise compliance. For several years, Tommy led the legal department of a major education company in Los Angeles.
Upon returning home to the Columbus, Ohio area, Tommy dedicated himself to his primary focus: criminal trial practice. Starting as a prosecutor, he eventually served as the Chief Assistant Prosecutor in Hocking County, Ohio – leading the felony division of that office.
Eventually, Tommy returned to private practice, determined to take the knowledge and skills developed as a prosecutor and put them to work for his clients as a criminal defense attorney. Tommy now practices primarily in the areas of felony criminal defense, OVI defense, juvenile and school law, and child custody, but also works with clients through civil litigation. Tommy has been lead counsel in hundreds of cases across 12 + Ohio counties.
In addition to his practice, Tommy is active in the community, teaching courses at Hocking College as an adjunct professor. He also sits on several boards, including the Board of Directors for the Mack-A-Cheek Foundation for the Humanities and the executive committee for the Hocking County Bar Association. In addition, Tommy is a member of the Case Committee and Rules Committee for the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (“OCLRE”) in Columbus, Ohio. Tommy is also a frequent judge at OCLRE’s Mock Trial and Moot Court programs.
