Justin Bonnick is an associate in the Providence office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the Workers’ Compensation, Public Agency and Municipal Law, and General Liability Practices. His diligent investigative skills, crisp written advocacy, and effective courtroom demeanor have resulted in numerous successful outcomes, whether they be a favorable settlement, denial of liability, or claim withdrawal, at Rhode Island’s Workers’ Compensation Court. His practice also brings him before the Rhode Island Supreme Court, as well as district and superior courts in the state. He also assists the Solicitor for the City of East Providence on a wide range of municipal matters, including tax appeals and labor and employment disputes.

Prior to joining Lewis Brisbois, Justin was in private practice at a firm where he routinely counseled business owners and property developers on a variety of municipal, zoning, and land use issues. He appeared before municipal bodies to obtain approvals for permits and zone changes. He also represented a well-known local establishment in a high-profile liquor and entertainment license dispute before both the local licensing board and the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. Justin has also served as outside general counsel for a public housing authority, handling a variety of landlord-tenant, employment, and regulatory matters. His prior experience also includes representation during wage and hour investigations, including within the context of a client’s participation in a federal seasonal migrant worker program. Besides his time spent in private practice, Justin values his past tenure as in-house counsel for a prominent local mortgage lender, as it provided him with a pragmatic, business-first insight to confronting legal risk. As a member of the lender’s Executive Leadership Team, Justin guided his employer during a period of expansion into multiple new markets, counseling on numerous new state laws and regulations as well as emerging federal regulatory risks in the process.

Justin is a proud graduate of the Boston University School of Law, where he was awarded the Judge Angelo Rossi Memorial Scholarship. This honor is bestowed upon a BU law student who has demonstrated a commitment to the State of Rhode Island and its residents. He also served as chapter president of the American Constitution Society, through which he facilitated on-campus events featuring guest speakers on topics including voting rights and criminal justice reform. During this time, Justin obtained his first courtroom experiences as a Student Prosecutor in the Boston University School of Law Crimincal Clinic. Prior to attending law school, Justin graduated from Northeastern University, magna cum laude, with a major in Political Science and a minor in Law and Public Policy. Justin’s undergraduate co-op with the U.S. Attorneys Office, during which he assisted the Major Crimes Unit in its efforts to prosecute a pain management physician for alleged drug dealing, is the experience which affirmed his desire to become an attorney.

Pro Bono & Philanthropy

Published Opinions

Admissions

• State Bar Admissions
  • Rhode Island

Associations

Rhode Island Bar Association

Education

Boston University School of Law

Juris Doctor, 2018
 

Northeastern University

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science (with minor in Law and Public Policy), magna cum laude, 2014

Representative Matters

• Shoreham, Inc. d/b/a Ballard’s Inn v. Town of New Shoreham, Board of License Commissioners, DBR No.: 22LQ011
• Pace Org. of R.I. v. Frew, 2024 R.I. Super. LEXIS 23