Jessica was raised in Austin, TX, and earned her BA in Political Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2011. Her journey into law took her to the University of New Hampshire School of Law, where her passion for defending the accused was ignited.

Jessica began her legal career as a public defender at the Bee County Regional Public Defender’s Office in Texas. In 2018, she founded and led the Lavaca County Public Defender’s Office. Together, they focused on client-centered representation and introduced a holistic defense model, addressing not only criminal cases but also the broader needs of their clients. In February 2022, Jessica took on the role of Director of Professional Development and Holistic Defense at the Bexar County Managed Assigned Counsel (MAC) office in San Antonio, TX. Jessica enjoyed this managerial role but soon realized that being in the courtroom and working directly with clients was her heart’s calling, and in 2023, she returned to client work at the Concho Valley Public Defender’s Office in San Angelo, TX.

While her career has largely kept her rooted in Texas, Jessica has always dreamed of living in Colorado. In 2025, she finally made that dream a reality, joining The Life & Liberty Law Office as an associate.

Jessica has been a dedicated board member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCDLA) since 2018. She’s spoken at multiple TCDLA conferences on topics including openings and closings, telling your client’s story, and voir dire (jury selection), and she has also been selected to serve as course director at several CLEs. She chaired the Public Defender Committee for multiple years, assisted the Criminal Defense Lawyers Project (CDLP)’s board, and served as chair of the State Bar Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Committee.

Jessica is known for being smart as a whip, deeply compassionate, highly resourceful, and a delight to be around. She is a lover of dogs, particularly her Cane Corso Lilith. In Jessica’s downtime, she loves to read, play first-person shooter video games (savage), and work on puzzles. When she has the chance, she also loves to go hiking and camping in Arizona and New Mexico, embracing the great outdoors.