Christopher Helt, Esq. is a nationally recognized deportation defense attorney, concentrating in providing legal counsel to immigrants appearing before the U.S. Immigration Court, federal district court, federal circuit courts and the Department of Homeland Security.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended Loyola Academy, Loyola University Chicago (graduating cum laude), and Loyola University’s School of Law. His practice concentrates in federal immigration litigation involving political asylum, refugee law and deportation/removal proceeding matters before the U.S. immigration court (the Executive Office for Immigration Review) and federal court. He has attained an “AV” (Preeminent Rating) lawyer-rating by his peers, the highest lawyer-rating possible by Martindale-Hubble.
Mr. Helt has been twice-qualified as an expert witness in federal jury trials for immigration/asylum-related matters, and is a member of the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, and 11th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the bar to U.S. Supreme Court, amongst other bar admissions. He is listed in Marquis’ Who’s Who in American law and has appeared on local, national television and national radio news programs (CNN, WBBM-TV, WLS, FOX NEWS, BBC and NPR radio). His cases and clients also have been featured on a regular basis in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times. He has appeared on national ABC, NBC, CBS news and news programs, (Dan Rather’s Eye on America interview of Mr. Helt, “Collateral Damage of the War on Terrorism”, CNN national news, and on the front page of the New York Times (10/13/97) and featured in Time Magazine (“Does This Boy Deserve Asylum”).
Mr. Helt has appeared on the covers of Chicago Lawyer Magazine (“New Era of Immigration Law”) and was featured and in a Chicago Reporter Magazine cover story entitled “Winning Asylum”. Mr. Helt was one of the first–if not the first–attorney in the United States to have logged the first-ever second-hand smoke lawsuit (under the EPA’s classification of second-hand smoke as a carcinogen), received the first ever official apology from Chicago Police officers in a 1996 civil rights case, and represented a Chicago school principle successfully suing the Chicago school superintendent and School Board demanding fair legal representation (Chicago Tribune, 8/27/99). He also is credited with bringing to the forefront the plight of some of Serbia’s own ethnic-Albanian soldiers who were systematically and secretly murdered at the hands Yugoslavia’s former president (“Serb Army Deserter Faces Trial” (Associated Press, 5/18/99)) and is the first to successfully win an asylum claim based on a child’s autism in 2001.
Mr. Helt’s pro bono work covers a wide-spectrum of clientele. He frequently provides pro bono representation to the poor and underclass, and also currently serves as an active member of the ABA’s Military Pro Bono Project.
Mr. Helt is an Illinois Super Lawyer and is an “AV” rated “preeminent” attorney, a distinction for attorneys who have attained the highest rating possible for legal and ethical standards amongst his peers and members of the judiciary by Martindale-Hubbell.
- Immigration Law
- Deportation Defense
- Federal Immigration Litigation
Helt Law Group LLC
10 S. Riverside Plaza Suite 875 Chicago, Illinois 60606
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- 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals
- 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
- 6th Circuit Court of Appeals
- 7th Circuit Court of Appeals
- 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
- 11th Circuit Court of Appeals
- Illinois Bar
- Western District Court of Tennessee
- Court of Appeals For The Armed Services
- U.S. Supreme Court
- H.S, cum laude, Loyola Academy
- B.A., cum laude, Loyola University of Chicago
- J.D., Loyola University of Chicago
Articles by Christopher Helt
Haute Lawyer Presents Exclusive Webinar with Christopher Helt
Christopher Helt recently spoke to Seth Semilof about his interest in immigration law, his favorite part of the job and so much more.
Ron DeSantis Signs Law With Severe Ramifications for Immigrants
Florida has implemented a law that makes it a felony to transport immigrants into the state without being inspected by immigration authorities.
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