Suarez, Tanya Irene

I graduated from Herrin High School in 1988. I attended John A. Logan for two years and completed my B.A. from the University of Illinois in 1992. I took a year off to attend Infantry Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning (see military service below) and then went on to obtain a law degree from SIU School of Law in 1996.
I have spent my entire legal career as a litigator.

I started as a prosecutor with the Illinois Attorney General's Office as a member of a special task force focusing on investigation and prosecution of child sex offenses. Three years later, I started working in the AG's Prosecution Assistance Bureau, which handles criminal trials for local States Attorneys. I handled a broad range of criminal felonies including a number of first-degree murder cases in counties all over southern Illinois. I was part of a select group of criminal attorneys certified by the Illinois Supreme Court to work death penalty cases as the lead attorney. In addition to his work in the Prosecution Assistance Bureau, I worked in the AG's Sexually Violent Person's Bureau which sought civil commitment of sexually violent people.

I joined the Army Reserve at age 17 as a Private. In 2011 I retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Major with more than 20 years of service. In that span of time I switched between the Army Reserve and the Illinois Army National Guard and then back to the Army Reserve. My service duties included time variously as a Combat Medic, an Officer Candidate, an Infantry Officer and JAG Officer. I spent 18 months mobilized to Ft. Riley, Kansas and another year in Iraq in 2008/2009. Although I do not actively list military law as an area of practice, I would be willing to assist active service members on a case-by-case basis.

I am married with one son and reside in Herrin.