Whelp, the bougie man of defense lawyers has entered the chat. Rapper Lil Durk has brought veteran defense attorney Brian Steel onto his legal team as he prepares for trial in a federal murder for hire case.
Steel will represent the Chicago artist as jury selection is scheduled to begin August 20, nearly two years after Durk and several members of his Only the Family collective were arrested. The attorney replaces Jonathan M. Brayman on the defense team.
According to court filings, Steel is joining the case pro hac vice. This allows him to participate in the proceedings despite not holding a California law license. Durk’s legal team also includes Drew Findling, who has previously represented numerous high-profile clients in the entertainment industry.
Steel is widely recognized in the hip-hop community for handling major cases involving prominent artists. He drew national attention in 2024 while defending Young Thug in the YSL RICO trial. The following year, he joined the legal defense team representing Sean “Diddy” Combs in a criminal proceeding.
Speaking recently about his approach to defending clients, Steel told Billboard, “I get very close to my clients. I meet their families,” Steel told Billboard while speaking with the outlet, earlier this month. “Because if I’m going to defend somebody, I gotta be invested. I gotta believe in the person, I gotta make it where if I lose this case, it’s going to ruin my life. I just want to help people, ethically and zealously. And I don’t want to hurt anybody, and God willing, something good will come out.”
Durk faces charges including conspiracy, murder for hire, and firearm use related to a violent crime. Prosecutors claim he orchestrated a 2022 attempt on rapper Quando Rondo’s life. The artist has pleaded not guilty.
Earlier this year, Durk hinted at personal struggles during his time behind bars, writing, “Crazy how you gotta wait until it’s dark out to see who really with you,” over a black screen on his Instagram Story.