S. Janaan Hashim

S. Janaan Hashim is an attorney who combines appellate experience and mediation training in her practice. She has served in public defense and in private practice, and she helped create a firm that handles contested matters in state and federal courts.

Hashim earned her J.D. from DePaul University in 2001 after completing undergraduate work at Mary Baldwin College. At Mary Baldwin she studied communications and broadcasting along with sociology and social work, receiving a B.A. in 1989.

Her early legal work included a role in the Office of the State Appellate Defender. In 2006 she worked as an Assistant Appellate Defender, participating in the preparation and briefing of appeals. That experience exposed her to the procedural demands of appellate litigation and the record-based work that defines appellate practice.

In 2007 she co-founded Amal Law Group, LLC and serves as its managing partner. At the firm she oversees case strategy and day-to-day operations while maintaining an active docket. Her practice includes handling appeals in Illinois courts and in the Federal Circuit, and she also accepts matters that benefit from early dispute resolution efforts.

Hashim has pursued formal training in mediation. She holds a divorce mediator certificate from Northwestern University and a mediator certificate from the Illinois State Bar Association. Those credentials inform the way she approaches contested family matters and other disputes that may be appropriate for mediation instead of protracted litigation.

Colleagues and clients note that her background in appellate work affects how she prepares cases at all stages. She emphasizes careful preservation of the record and precise briefing when litigating appeals. At the same time she applies mediation techniques where appropriate to narrow issues and seek negotiated resolutions.

She is admitted to practice in Illinois and in the Federal Circuit. Since moving from an appellate defender’s office into private practice and firm leadership, she has balanced litigation responsibilities with the administrative demands of running a law firm. She continues to practice at Amal Law Group, LLC, handling appeals and providing mediation services.