Hogan Ganschow is a native Santa Barbaran and criminal defense attorney with experience representing clients throughout Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.
Born in Cottage Hospital, Mr. Ganschow is the son of two career public defenders: Karen Atkins, and Michael Ganschow. For their 35+ year careers, Michael and Karen helped establish legal rules and norms while handling some of the highest profile cases Santa Barbara has ever seen. In their lives, criminal defense was not just a job, but a culture and philosophy, and as their child, Hogan took an early interest in legal issues and mock courtroom competitions.
After graduating San Marcos high school in 1998, Mr. Ganschow studied history and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Graduating UC Berkeley in 2002, Mr. Ganschow worked in the paralegal department of Walnut Creek civil plaintiff’s firm before deciding to enroll in law school in 2004. Upon receiving a full academic scholarship to attend Loyola Law School, Mr. Ganschow moved from Northern California to Los Angeles to continue his education and get his Juris Doctorate degree.
Following his admission to the California bar in 2008, Mr. Ganschow began his career as a criminal defense attorney in the Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office, occupying the same office that his father once held for over thirty years. During his tenure in Santa Barbara County, Mr. Ganschow worked both in Santa Barbara city and in Lompoc, handling hundreds of cases in a wide variety of charges at all stages of the criminal legal process.
In the Santa Barbara County courts, Mr. Ganschow developed a reputation as a compassionate and zealous advocate, a fierce negotiator who knew how to make a good deal, and a confident litigator that knew when a case needed to go in front of a jury. Mr. Ganschow’s experience trying difficult cases in front of juries developed his confidence as a trial attorney, which in turn made him an effective negotiator that could leverage his reputation for the benefit of his clients.
In 2015, Mr. Ganschow decided to move counties, and began work in the Ventura Public Defender’s Office. From 2015-2017, Mr. Ganschow worked in Ventura handling misdemeanors and felonies, and representing clients at all stages of the process in a fast-paced environment where he was expected to be ready on multiple trials a day. During his tenure in Ventura, Mr. Ganschow oversaw numerous trial, hearing, and motion successes.
In both Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, Mr. Ganschow represented clients from many different backgrounds, including students, workers, persons with developmental disabilities, persons with immigration concerns, members from marginalized groups, veterans, and houseless persons.
Mr. Ganschow now works as a private criminal defense attorney, leveraging his experience and reputation to get the best possible outcomes for his clients. When he is not in the courtroom representing clients, Mr. Ganschow assists activists throughout California instructing them on how to responsibly and effectively assert their rights to law enforcement. An activist himself, Mr. Ganschow corresponds with various social justice groups throughout the country and frequently volunteers his time to assist in negotiations with police for large public marches and demonstrations.