About Joseph D
Joseph D Garrison took a steady, traditional path into the law. He earned a B.S. from Northwestern University in 1999 and later completed his J.D. at the University of New Hampshire School of Law in 2008. Those classroom years set the groundwork for a career that has moved between public service and private practice.
Early in his legal training he worked inside government offices. He served as an extern at the New Hampshire Department of Justice in 2007 and at the City of Concord Prosecutor’s Office in 2008. After law school he joined the New Hampshire Public Defender’s Office as a staff lawyer the same year. That period provided regular courtroom experience and exposure to criminal defense practice at the trial level.
After several years in public defense, Garrison transitioned to private litigation. In 2015 he was an associate at Waystack Frizzell, Trial Lawyers, where he handled trial preparation and courtroom work. The following year he opened his own firm, Garrison Law. As founder he has managed the firm’s caseload and daily operations since 2016.
Outside the courtroom he has taken on roles in the local bar. He has been a member of the Grafton County Bar Association board since 2015. He belongs to the New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Coos County Bar Association, both memberships dating back to 2008 and 2015 respectively. He is also a member of the New Hampshire Association for Justice, joining that organization in 2016. In 2015 he received certification as a Justice of the Peace from the State of New Hampshire, a credential that adds a civic dimension to his legal work.
Garrison is licensed in New Hampshire and admitted to practice in the First Circuit. His background in public defense and later roles at a trial-focused firm inform the kinds of matters he takes. He has spent much of his career handling trial-oriented work and criminal defense matters, moving between arraignments, pretrial litigation, and courtroom advocacy.
Colleagues describe a lawyer who combines practical courtroom experience with steady management of a small firm. Over time he has balanced client representation, bar involvement, and the administrative responsibilities that come with running an office. He continues to represent individuals and handle litigation in New Hampshire courts and in matters that reach the First Circuit. He currently concentrates his practice on criminal defense and trial litigation in New Hampshire and the First Circuit.
