Lil Durk has officially hired Brian Steel to represent him in his murder-for-hire case. Jury selection will begin on August 20, nearly two years after he and his Only the Family affiliates were originally arrested. In joining Durk's defense, Steel will replace attorney Jonathan M. Brayman.
As noted by his application, he'll be joining the team pro hac vice, meaning that, despite not being licensed to practice law in California, he'll still be able to assist Durk. The team also features Drew Findling, who has represented many other celebrities as well.
Who Is Brian Steel?
Brian Steel has made a name for himself in the hip-hop community for representing several high-profile rappers in recent years. For starters, he made tons of headlines while defending Young Thug in the YSL RICO trial back in 2024. From there, he joined Diddy's legal team for his criminal trial in 2025.
“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.”
As for Lil Durk's criminal case, the trial date of August 25, 2026, came after a recent delay. When authorities arrested him in 2024, they charged him with conspiracy, murder-for-hire, and firearm use in a violent crime. They alleged that he orchestrated the attempted murder of Quando Rondo back in 2022. He has already pleaded not guilty and continues to maintain his innocence.
In January, Durk hinted at struggling with losing touch with his friends while behind bars. "Crazy how you gotta wait until it's dark out to see who really with you," he wrote over a black screen on his Instagram Story.
