Russell Lorfing
Managing Partner
Russell Lorfing is a multi-award winning trial lawyer, former federal prosecutor, and managing partner at the Keith & Lorfing law firm. He practices personal injury and criminal defense exclusively in West Texas. He and his team of award-winning trial lawyers have handled thousands of cases and hundreds of jury trials. Before entering private practice, Mr. Lorfing served as an Assistant United States attorney in Lubbock, Texas, and ran a human trafficking task force on Saipan, a small U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean. Prior to serving as an AUSA, he was a law clerk to the Honorable Barbara Harvey on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
Mr. Lorfing is the founder and creator of Freedom Fighters, an online leadership course that teaches working class men how to be better husbands and fathers. He is also the author of This Too Shall Pass, a daily devotional for incarcerated men
In addition, he has been chosen as:
- 2024 Super Lawyers Honoree, an award bestowed on less than 1% of practicing attorneys
- 2024 Selected as Co-Chair of the Federal Criminal Defense Committee for the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- 2023 Voted Best Trial Lawyers in Abilene by Community Votes, an independent and objective online voting platform.
- 2023 Voted Best Motor Vehicle Crash attorney in Abilene by Expertise.com
- 2022-23 Client Choice Award by Avvo
- 2021 Best Criminal Defense Lawyer in Abilene by Expertise.com
As a former state and federal prosecutor, Russell has served as lead counsel in dozens of complex jury trials. He has extensive knowledge in electronic evidence and the Electronic Communication Privacy Act. In 2017, he was designated as a Cyber Hacking Intellectual Property Prosecutor by the United States Attorney’s Office and oversaw cyber investigations throughout West Texas. He has been recognized nationally for his work on white collar investigations by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Homeland Security, and by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his prosecutorial accomplishments and years of service to the American people.
Speaking Events, Lectures, and Training
Due to his extensive experience, Russell was frequently asked to give lectures for various law enforcement agencies and organizations, including the FBI, IRS, DEA, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Russell is also considered by the Department of Justice to be an expert on the admissibility of electronic evidence and was asked by the United States Attorney in the Northern District of Texas to provide training on this issue to federal prosecutors in Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Abilene, and Amarillo.
Example of Past Speaking Engagements:
- Busted by the Feds: Prosecuting and Defending Federal Criminal Cases; 2024, Prairie Dog Conference, 60 minutes – guest lecture.
- Do Better: How to Win Cases, Make Millions and Grow Your Practice, 2023; Midland Bar Luncheon – 45 minutes – guest lecture
- Why Meta Matters, 2020: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children law enforcement training – 2 hours – guest lecture
- Get Rich Quick: A Banker’s Guide to Money Laundering, 2019: West Texas Banker’s Working Group quarterly meeting – 45 minutes – guest lecture
- Digital Sex Crimes in the Age of Millennials: Cyber Stalking, Sextortion, and Revenge Porn, 2019: Monthly Luncheon – 20 minutes – guest lecture
- You Never Saw it Coming: Identity Theft and the Dark Web, 2019: Annual Meeting- 60 minutes – guest lecture
- The New and Improved Search Warrant for the Digital World, 2019: Annual CLE – 60 minute presentation – guest lecture
Approach
“Russell’s approach is simply . . . different. We’ve never met a lawyer like him. It was more like talking to an old friend than my attorney.”
Mr. Lorfing is a fierce advocate for the working-class. Over the years, he has built a reputation for unapologetically fighting to level the playing field for hardworking West Texans. He has intentionally chosen not to represent corporations or the one percenters. Instead, he fights for people like him – honest, family-oriented folks who know the value of hardwork.
His authentic, plain-spoken approach to each and every case affords him the ability to connect with clients in ways that other lawyers cannot. You’re just as likely to find him at a client’s family bbq or fishing and hunting with his clients on the weekends as you are to find him advocating for them in a courtroom. He has a certain charisma that juries love and judges respect. As one colleague described him, “Russell is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He can be warm and friendly but he’s a different animal once he steps into the courtroom.”
Education
Russell is a proud graduate of St Mary’s School of Law, where he served as class president. He obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas in Austin and remains a loyal fan out in West Texas.
Bachelor of Arts – University of Texas at Austin
- Texas Cowboys
- Cactus Goodfellow
- Presidential Achievement Scholar
Juris Doctor – St. Mary’s School of Law
- Class President
- Moot court
Bar Admissions and Licenses
- State of Texas
- Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
- Washington D.C.
- Fifth Circuit
- NDTX
- WDTX
- SDTX
- United States Supreme Court
West Texas Roots
Russell is a fifth generation Texan who prides himself on his Texas roots. He still believes a handshake and a man’s word matters. After law school, Russell found his way to Lubbock, where he worked as a federal prosecutor in the high plains of West Texas. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Russell handled cases from the Panhandle to the Big Country to the Concho Valley and everywhere in between. He now lives with his family in Abilene, Texas.
- Favorite travel destination in West Texas and why? Palo Duro canyon. I like the topography and the chance to unplug while hiking.
- Best kept secret in West Texas There are so many hidden gems in West Texas but Lake Abilene has to be up there. You normally have the entire lake to yourself and there are kayaks for rent just off the southeast shoreline.
- Best Restaurant in West Texas – The West Table. If you haven’t been to this hotspot in Lubbock, you got to try it. It’s owned by a close friend of mine, Cameron West. The guy is a savant in the kitchen.
- Biggest Surprise about West Texas – Don’t sleep on Midland. It’s more than black gold and oil derricks. Midland has an energy about it. The people are friendly, the bar and restaurant scene is metropolitan, and there’s a ton of young professionals.
- What does West Texas Tough mean to you? Being West Texas Tough is a mindset. It means embracing the grit and determination of the American West and fighting everyday on behalf of our clients.
What are Clients are Saying
Personal Life
Russell grew up poor and saw his biological father struggle with addiction and a criminal record. His mother worked two jobs and the graveyard shift to make ends meet. He witnessed firsthand the devastating impact drugs and the criminal justice system have on family life. As a young man, he knew he wanted a different life. Through hard work and determination, he became the first person in his family to ever attend and graduate college.
Russell is married to Jessica Lorfing, his beautiful wife, and he is the proud father to three amazing boys. He enjoys camping, hiking, and Longhorn football. One of his greatest passions in life is exploring exotic places and adventure travel.
He has traveled to over 70 countries, visited all seven wonders of the world, ran a marathon on the Great Wall of China, hiked to the base camp of Mt. Everest, survived the Amazon jungle, swam with sharks in the Pacific Ocean, explored the mountains of Patagonia, and tried walking on water at the Sea of Galilee.
