About Ian
Ian Quiel trained in Utah and has built a career in the state's criminal courts. He earned his J.D. from The University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. The law school years set the stage for early courtroom exposure and a steady move into trial work.
Quiel's courtroom path began before graduation. In 2013 he served as an intern prosecutor in the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office. That early prosecutorial work gave him a close-up view of the state's case preparation and trial tactics. By 2015 he had taken a role as a trial lawyer at the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association, where he began representing people accused of crimes in state court. In 2019 he worked as a trial attorney at Strong & Hanni, continuing steady litigation practice and expanding his trial docket.
His professional training includes completion of the Trial Practice Institute at the National Criminal Defense College. He is licensed by the Utah State Bar and maintains memberships in the Utah State Bar and the Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Quiel is admitted to practice in Utah and is also authorized to appear in the Tenth Circuit. That combination of state and federal admission has allowed him to handle both trial-level work and matters that touch on federal appellate procedure.
Colleagues describe his background as rooted in courtroom preparation. He has worked on both sides of the aisle—first in a prosecutor's office and later defending clients—so he brings insight into how cases are constructed and contested. His work has been concentrated on criminal matters, from arraignment through trial. File preparation, client interviews, witness handling and motion practice are recurring elements of his caseload.
Outside of trial calendars, Quiel engages with professional organizations that shape criminal defense practice in Utah. He stays involved in bar activities and training programs intended to sharpen trial skills and update practitioners on changing law. He balances a heavy courtroom schedule with continuing legal education and participation in local defense networks.
He represents clients in criminal matters in Utah and handles filings and appeals in the Tenth Circuit in the course of his practice.
