Associate Attorney Whitni Hart

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Whitni Hart is one of the newest associate attorneys to join Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC, yet she arrives with an accomplished background. Before coming to WKO, Whitni worked for a boutique family law firm as an associate attorney in their family law department and, prior to that, she was top of her law school graduating class.

Whitni knew early in life that she wanted to work in the legal field in some capacity. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Illinois State University, she enrolled in a course that was modeled after a mock law school class, and the rest was history! Thereafter, in anticipation of law school, Whitni completed an internship with the local county State’s Attorney’s Office; there, she assisted in the preparation for jury trials of felony drug cases, carefully compiling witness and exhibit lists, as well as preparing direct examination questions for each witness.

While criminal law was certainly interesting to Whitni, she knew that her real passion was family law. Whitni’s goal became guiding families who are experiencing change through the difficult legal process (often known as divorce, parentage court, adoptions, and the like) with as little stress as possible. During her first year of law school, Whitni served as a volunteer advocate with DeKalb County CASA. This role allowed her to investigate the circumstances of an abused child’s life and advocate for their best interests to the court. It also solidified what Whitni already knew – family law was the place for her. It was important to her to have a career that allowed her to help families, particularly children.

Whitni also went to great lengths during law school to hone her writing skills so she could be a strong advocate both orally and on paper. She served as an Assistant Editor on Law Review, where she learned the importance of a sharp attention to detail. She also worked as a Writing Coach for the Northern Illinois University Writing Center, which provided her with the opportunity to break down complex concepts and explain them in a way that students could quickly understand. Whitni spent the last year of her legal education externing for a variety of judges, both at the state and federal level. She drafted numerous memoranda and opinions that gave her insight as to how the judicial decision-making process operates. This combined experience means that Whitni is as diligent outside the courtroom preparing paperwork as she is inside the courtroom.

Whitni thrives under pressure, as she graduated at the top of her class in law school while balancing many other responsibilities. She was recognized for her performance in Evidence, Property, Land Use Law, Real Estate, and Criminal Law and Procedure. Upon graduation, she was also presented the George M. Shur Award for academic excellence! As a result of both her educational and professional experiences, Whitni has a well-rounded knowledge of the law and can quickly adapt to any unique circumstances that may arise in her cases.

In her free time, Whitni enjoys reading fiction novels, cooking vegetarian dishes, and spending time with her family.

Practice Areas

• Family Law

Bar Admissions

• Illinois

Education

• Northern Illinois University College of Law, DeKalb, IL, J.D., Summa Cum Laude
• Illinois State University, Bloomington-Normal, IL, 2018, B.S. Criminal Justice Sciences, Cum Laude

Bar Memberships & Affiliations

• Illinois State Bar Association, Member

Honors and Awards:

• Northern Illinois College of Law Trial Advocacy – Master of the Bench
• Law Review, Assistant Editor, Volume 40, Best Cite Check Performance
• Francis G. Mays Prize (for achievement in Evidence, Criminal Law, and Criminal Procedure)
• Brewster Parker Award (for achievement in Property, Real Estate, and Land Use Law)
• George M. Shur Award for Academic Excellence

Past Employment Positions:

• Goostree Law Group, P.C.
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• Ogle County Judicial Center
• Northern Illinois University Writing Center
• Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
• Kane County Public Defender’s Office
• McLean County State’s Attorney’s Office