About Carly Jehlen
Carly Jehlen Hart has built a career centered on criminal court practice in Virginia and at the federal appellate level. She appears before Virginia trial courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Her work combines courtroom litigation, case review, and committee service within local bar groups.
She earned a B.A. in English Literature and Social Science from the University of South Florida in 2002. Hart went on to complete her legal education at George Mason University School of Law, where she received her J.D. in 2010.
Early in her career she became involved in local legal organizations. In 2011 she joined the Screening Committee of the Mid Atlantic Innocence Project, a role that has her reviewing and vetting potential claims. She has been a member of the Loudoun County Bar Association since 2012. She also joined the National College of DUI Defense in 2012 and remains a member, reflecting ongoing interest in DUI-related practice and training.
Within the Fairfax Bar Association, Hart has taken on leadership responsibilities. She served as Co-Chair of the General District Court Committee in 2014. Later, in 2018, she was Vice Chair of the Criminal Bar Section. Those roles involved coordinating peers, contributing to committee work, and helping shape local practice discussions.
Hart holds a Certificate of Training in DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing issued through the National Highway Traffic and Safety Control and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. That credential aligns with courtroom work on DUI matters and with defense tactics that depend on technical evidence and procedure.
She practices at Zinicola Blanch Overand & Hart PLLC, where her docket includes criminal defense matters. Her experience in bar committees and in screening post-conviction claims informs how she approaches case preparation and client advocacy. Colleagues describe her as methodical and practical in courtroom settings, and she regularly handles hearings in Virginia courts as well as appeals that reach the Fourth Circuit.
Hart continues to be active in professional associations and in local legal governance. She maintains memberships that keep her connected to evolving criminal practice and DUI defense developments. She currently practices criminal defense at Zinicola Blanch Overand & Hart PLLC, handling matters in Virginia and the Fourth Circuit.
