About Joseph
Joseph Hoelscher combines a background in political science and communication studies with a law degree to shape a career that moves between courtroom work and academic forensics. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from St. Mary’s University in 1998 and followed that with an M.A. in Communication Studies and International Relations in 2002. He completed his J.D. at Baylor Law School in 2006.
After law school, Hoelscher gained early courtroom experience through clerkships. He served as a law clerk to the 54th District Court of Texas in 2006 and earlier worked as a law clerk at Goldstein Goldstein & Hilley in 2005. Those roles followed his pre‑law positions in educational forensics. In 1998 he was Assistant Director of Forensics at St. Mary’s University, and in 1999 he took the Director of Forensics post at Texas Military Institute.
Hoelscher moved into private practice soon after his clerkships. In 2007 he opened the Hoelscher Law Office as a lawyer and owner. Over the next decade he helped form and lead small firms. He was a managing member of Hoelscher Gebbia PLLC in 2017, then a managing member of Hoelscher Gebbia Cepeda PLLC beginning in 2018. His practice has remained centered in Texas and in federal matters before the Western District of Texas.
Professional associations have been a steady part of his career. He has been on the board of directors of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association since 2009. He also belongs to the College of the State Bar of Texas and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, both memberships dating from 2009. Locally, he has been part of the San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association since 2007. In 2017 he was a founding member of the Texas Association of Cannabis Lawyers, and he joined the Texas Association of Family Defense Lawyers in 2022. He is a member of the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas as well.
Hoelscher has pursued training related to forensic testing and intoxication matters, including certification through Education Forensics, LLC on the legal aspects of analytical testing in intoxication cases in Texas. That background complements his courtroom practice and informs how he handles technical evidence.
He is admitted to practice in Texas and in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. He now practices at HGC Law, where he handles criminal defense, family defense, and cannabis‑related legal matters.
