Jessica L. Vinnik

Ms. Vinnik joined Hostetter Strent in September 2023 after more than ten years representing New York City municipal employees in a variety of civil matters. In that role, Ms. Vinnik was lead counsel on simple and complex domestic relations cases, and she has extensive experience resolving matrimonial, custody, child support, alimony, protective order, and paternity actions both in and out of court. Ms. Vinnik also represented clients in real estate transactions, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions, and consumer debt, eviction, and foreclosure defense. Her depth of knowledge in these legal areas enables her to identify and resolve financial and real estate issues for her domestic relations clients more effectively. 

Ms. Vinnik believes that an effective family law attorney must combine technical prowess with genuine empathy and that gaining trust requires client-centered communication. Throughout her years in social work and legal services, she was thoughtful and energetic as she offered concrete support, honest counseling, and bold advocacy. 

Ms. Vinnik earned her Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis in 2004, where she trained to be a peer counselor and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Before returning to graduate school, Ms. Vinnik spent four years working in Preventive Services assisting families interfacing with the New York City child welfare system. She earned her Juris Doctorate from City University of New York Law School in 2011 as a Haywood Burns Graduate Fellow. During and after law school, Ms. Vinnik was a research assistant for two family law professors and a legal intern for Diana Adams Law, Federal Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Ellis (Southern District of New York), Urban Justice Center’s Peter Cicchino Youth Project, Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Law Project, and MFY Kinship Caregiver Law Project. Upon graduating, Ms. Vinnik worked in the Office of Legal Affairs in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Ms. Vinnik is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Maryland. While in New York, she was a member of the Steering Committee of the Family Law and Matrimonial Section of the LGBT Bar Association of New York, New York City Bar Association, and Family Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. She relocated with her family to the DMV area in 2023 and is eager to continue helping clients seeking to preserve or dissolve their families. Ms. Vinnik is highly proficient in Spanish.