Hannah Valdez Garst

Hannah Valdez Garst

5.0
Rating: 8.1

Licensed for 22 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Arlington Heights, IL
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Expungement, Appeals, Federal Crime

121 S. Wilke Rd., Suite 301, Arlington Heights, IL

About Hannah

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 35%

I represent clients on both the trial and appellate levels.

20 years | 70 cases

35%
Expungement 25%

I help clients expunge and seal their criminal records in Illinois.

15 years | 10 cases

25%
Appeals 20%

I have been involved with over 50 criminal appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Fourth Circuit.

22 years | 55 cases

20%
Federal Crime 20%

I represent clients charged with white-collar offenses, bank robbery, drug offenses, fraud, and immigration offenses. I have also represented clients who want to challenge restitution orders, amend terms of supervised release, and terminate supervised release.

20 years | 60 cases

20%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check

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Licenses

Licensed in Illinois for 22 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 2003

Active and Authorized to Practice Law

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Hannah Garst

121 S. Wilke Rd., Suite 301, Arlington Heights, IL, 60005

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Hannah Valdez Garst's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

5 Client Reviews

5 star (5)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by anonymous | December 17, 2020 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Review

Hannah was a Godsend at a time when I had no idea how to proceed for a court case. She had the guidance and knowledge on what needed to be done. She directed me through the process, what to expect, and how to proceed before, during and after. She walked me through everything honestly and ethically ...in an stressful situation. I would highly recommend Hannah for all your legal needs.

Posted by Tony | May 5, 2018 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

A Fortunate Find

After having two attorneys inform me that my arrest could not be expunged from my record I found Hannah Garst. She was willing to fight for me and after a day in court she was able to get the arrest expunged from my record. Hannah Garst was a Fortunate Find.

Posted by James | December 29, 2017 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

One of my best experiences with an attorney!

Hannah was very professional and understanding. I hired her to get my criminal record sealed. At first there was nothing that could be done to seal my record. But the moment the law was changed allowing me to seal my record Hannah sent me a email. The process was simple and she did everything promis...ed. Great attorney that I have recommended to many people!!

Posted by anonymous | June 15, 2015

Hannah Garst = One of a Kind Attorney

My bride to be and I were living with some pretty serious circumstances resulting from a court case I was previously involved with. My previous attorney that represented me during my case was completely unqualified and soon after the sentencing became a ghost. We were left with many questions and m...ore than anything in need of an attorney well versed in Federal Criminal Law and more specifically the Federal Restitution Code. Hannah came highly recommended by a couple of attorneys and she certainly didn't disappoint. I had originally reached out to her and told her our story and she offered up her help. She asked me to send her some info and in return she would send me an engagement letter. Well I never fulfilled my end of the bargain, until my bride to gave me a friendly reminder close to 4 months later. We reached back out to Hannah and she responded immediately. From the first day I spoke with her until our last formal interaction Hannah was genuine, honest, and extremely helpful. I would never hesitate to recommend her to anyone that needed her services. Not only did she answer all of our questions, but she also referred us to another great attorney to help us with some estate planning matters. From my experience with lawyers Hannah is a shining star and somebody that you can trust to handle your hardest situations.

Posted by anonymous | April 29, 2015

Great Overall Experience

Mrs. Garst was prompt, organized and so knowledgeable on the topics that we needed covered. And what she didn't know (which was very little) she found out what we needed to know. She really asked made us feel like we had gotten the most out of her fees and she went above and beyond with the question...s we needed to have answered. Over all it was a great experience under the circumstances and we feel a lot more prepared for our future due to her legal advice.

See All Client Reviews

Hannah Valdez Garst's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Hannah
Stephen Laurence Hoffman headshot
Stephen Hoffman

Appeals lawyer | Apr 25

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Hannah is knowledgeable and a terrific person. I won't touch appeals, but she knows them well. I do not hesitate to send anything remotely smelling of an appeal to Hannah. We've known one another for well over a decade, and her legal work and personal attention to clients shines through."

View All Endorsements
Lynn T. Palac headshot
Lynn Palac

Criminal defense lawyer

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Joshua Adams

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Stephen Hoffman

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Roger Zamparo

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Experience

Rating:  8.1 (Excellent)

Honors

N/A

Dean's List, University of North Carolina School of Law

N/A

Holderness Moot Court, University of North Carolina School of Law

Work Experience

2006 - Present

Attorney, Law Offices of Hannah Garst

2011 - 2011

Appellate Advocacy Professor, Loyola Law School In Chicago

2003 - 2005

Staff Law Clerk, United States Court Of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

Associations

2015 - Present

Seventh Circuit Bar Association

Sample of Legal Cases

United States v. Mer

Acquittal immediately following oral argument on immigration count and vacated mail fraud count

United States v. Nav

Court vacated $16 million restitution judgment. On remand, the restitution was not reinstated.

United States v. Isla

Vacated sentence and obtained a 36-month sentence reduction

See More Legal Cases

Education

2003

University of North Carolina School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1999

Gardner-Webb University

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2017

CBA Solo and Small Practitioner Committee Seminar

Criminal Law: How a Civil Attorney Can Make a Difference

Publications

2017

Northwest Suburban Bar Association Newsbriefs Successfully Tackling an Appellate Brief

Languages

English

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
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