Quinnipiac University
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Jessica Liat Lopez is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Legal Studies at Quinnipiac University. She is an attorney with 10 years of practice experience in the fields of criminal law, eviction defense, community lawyering, employment discrimination, and commercial litigation. She specializes in trial advocacy, motion practice, and community based legal workshops. Most recently, Jessica practiced at Youth Represent, a nonprofit organization with a mission of using legal services, policy advocacy, peer education, and other tools to build power and opportunity for Black, Latiné, and other youth of color who the criminal legal system and other systems of oppression harm the most. There, she represented clients in criminal, family, employment discrimination, benefits, records, and housing cases and co-taught Brooklyn Law School's Youth Defense & Re-Entry Legal Services Clinic. As a Public Defender in Union County, New Jersey, she represented clients charged with felony offenses in all stages of litigation including at trial, obtaining multiple acquittals. While practicing as a staff attorney at Brooklyn Legal Services, she defended residents of Brooklyn from being evicted from their homes and sued landlords for housing repairs. She is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey. In 2019 she received Cornell Law School's “Rising Star Award” for her achievements in the field of public interest law.

Education

  • JD, Cornell University

Areas of Expertise

  • Trial Advocacy
  • Community Lawyering
  • Legal Writing
  • Criminal Law
  • NYC Housing Law

Organization

  • Justice and Law

Office Location

  • College of Arts & Sciences 1 336

Mail Drop

  • CL-AC1

Experience

Quinnipiac University

Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor

Hamden, Connecticut

2024 - 2025

Quinnipiac University

Part-Time Facutly

Hamden, Connecticut

2023 - 2025

Cornell Law School

Assistant Facilitator - M.S.L.S. Program

Ithaca, New York

2022 - 2024

Youth Represent

Staff Attorney

New York, New York

2019 - 2022

Brooklyn Legal Services

Staff Attorney

Brooklyn, New York

2017 - 2019

New Jersey Office of the Public Defender

Assistant Deputy Public Defender

Elizabeth, New Jersey

2015 - 2017

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, LLP

Litigation Associate

New York, New York

2014 - 2015

Professional Designation