J. Christopher Llinas

J. Christopher ("Chris") Llinas is a seasoned trial attorney with over 28 years of extensive experience representing clients in courtroom and administrative proceedings. Based in Middletown, Connecticut, he focuses his practice on criminal defense, DUI and DWI litigation, immigration, and appellate advocacy. Over the course of his distinguished career, Chris has tried more than 100 jury trials and handled over 45 appellate cases across state and federal courts in Maryland and Connecticut.

Chris graduated from Franklin Pierce Law Center (now the University of New Hampshire School of Law) in 1997 before serving as a judicial law clerk to Justice Leigh I. Saufley of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. He subsequently developed a comprehensive perspective on the legal system by working as a legal aid attorney, public defender, assistant state's attorney, corporate counsel, and private defense practitioner. In addition to his trial practice, Chris has served as an adjunct professor at Salisbury University and holds leadership roles in both the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Known for his specialized focus in "crimmigration"—the intersection of criminal defense and immigration law—Chris is dedicated to protecting the rights and futures of noncitizens facing criminal allegations or removal. He regularly advocates before state and federal trial courts, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First and Second Circuits. Chris provides tenacious, strategic, and compassionate representation tailored to each client's unique circumstances.