New law firm in Wallace

WALLACE — Those seeking legal help now have another option as Schwartz Law has set up shop in downtown Wallace.

Attorney Chris Schwartz already is a familiar face in the Shoshone County legal scene, but with the number of available local practices dwindling down, Schwartz saw an opportunity to branch out and open another office in the area.

Schwartz won’t be coming alone, along with partners Lisa Chesebro and Courtney Gillihan — Schwartz Law will be able to assist folks on a myriad of legal issues, while still specializing in criminal defense.

Schwartz Law has had a slice of the Shoshone County Public Defense Contract for a while, which has kept them in the rotation as pertains to folks who need an attorney and cannot afford one — this has allowed them to gain familiarity with Shoshone County’s court system, and the prosecutors.

Schwartz has been practicing law for 17 years, including time as the head of Kootenai County’s Public Defender’s Office.

After leaving that role, Schwartz opened his first office in Coeur d’Alene on Government Way, directly across the street from the Kootenai County Courthouse.

As he began representing more people on this side of Fourth of July Pass, he saw the need to grow his practice and add a second office — which is where Chesebro came into the picture.

Chesebro comes with 15 years of experience, including time in KCPD’s office, as well as some time on the other side of the aisle as prosecutor for the city of Post Falls and in private practice.

“We used to work together all of the time,” Chesebro said of Schwartz. “When Chris left I was actually pretty jealous.”

Moving from the hustle and bustle that is the Kootenai County Courthouse to the smaller — yet still busy Shoshone County counterpart is a step toward the two attorney’s rediscovering the joy in their careers.

“Everything in Kootenai County is so aggressive, it’s therapeutic for us to be here,” Schwartz said. “Being able to call Keisha (Oxendine) and Ben (Allen) and discuss the cases calmly and civilly is a big deal for us.”

The office space will allow them the opportunity to meet with clients in a comfortable setting that doesn’t require them to make the 80-plus mile round trip drive.

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and its subsequent flare-ups have made practicing law from the defense side of the coin increasingly difficult as things like jury trials have been suspended, as well as creating scheduling conflicts for simple processes like arraignments and hearings.

The addition of the second office gives Schwartz’s team another place to conduct hearings over the internet — but even with the ability and space to work more, the unpredictability of the world as we know it has put a bit of a damper on attorneys and their ability to work.

“The Supreme Court has suspended everyone’s right to a speedy trial,” Schwartz said.

“We’re in the business of protecting people’s Constitutional rights and the right to a speedy trial is kind of the be-all, end-all,” Chesebro said. “So that has been increasingly frustrating for us.”

They aren’t letting that hiccup bring them down though, they are happy to be among a more laid back community where time has seemingly paused and walking along Cedar Street is the equivalent of stepping back in time.

Over all, Schwartz and Chesebro are happy to now have a physical presence in the Silver Valley and look forward to serving the residents.

“There’s a really underserved population in Shoshone County,” Schwartz said. “When people don’t have the resources available to them, it puts them in a really tough spot.”

Schwartz Law is located at 512 Cedar St. in Wallace, and is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will take appointments for meetings on Fridays.

They offer free consultations for anyone who may need their services.

For more information, please contact them at 208-556-0200.