Justin graduated from James Madison University in 1992 with a double major in English and Political Science and a minor in German.  He graduated from the University of Denver School of Law in 1998; while there he was a member of the International Law Journal and Chairman of the Honor Council.  Justin joined the U.S. Marine Corps after his second year of law school.  While on active duty, Justin served as a Judge Advocate specializing in criminal law, and was stationed both in Okinawa, Japan, and at Camp Pendleton, California, where he worked as a defense counsel and criminal prosecutor.

Justin left active duty in 2004, and worked for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for two years.  There he worked in the headquarters office, and focused on employment law, fiscal law, and government contracting issues.  As a Marine Reservist, he volunteered for deployment to Iraq in 2006, and served in the Al-Anbar Province as a Team Leader of a group of Marines performing civil affairs work while attached to an infantry battalion.  Justin’s personal awards from his time in Iraq include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and he was the honor graduate for the 2009 class at the USMC Reserve Command and Staff College.

 Instead of returning to his job with ICE after he had recovered from his injuries, Justin started a new job with the U.S. Department of Justice, working in their Office of Immigration Litigation, primarily writing appellate briefs defending the lower immigration court decisions. After 16 months and in November, 2008, Justin transitioned to the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, where he is now Health and Benefits Counsel for the majority party.