Boutique Law Firms, Litigators, Small Law Firms, U.S. Attorneys Offices

Former Federal Prosecutor Jessica Ortiz's Career Advice For Up-And-Coming Attorneys

A federal prosecutor turned law firm partner offers insights to law students and young lawyers.

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Jessica Ortiz

Jessica Ortiz

“I’m going to keep on running because a winner don’t quit on themselves.” — Beyoncé

Last month, MoloLamken LLP announced that Jessica Ortiz, an accomplished federal prosecutor who previously led the Narcotics Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, has joined the firm as a partner in its New York office.

There are four new associates also joining the elite litigation boutique upon completion of prestigious clerkships for federal judges. Ortiz will be the firm’s first female partner. Her addition will mean that women will comprise more than 30 percent of the firm’s attorneys — a percentage that compares quite favorably to other industry leaders, according to MoloLamken’s website.

This week, I had the opportunity to catch up with Jessica Ortiz. She is a second-generation (or first-generation depending on your definition) American who was born and raised in Rochester, New York. Her parents moved here from Puerto Rico when they were younger. They decided on relocating to Rochester from Williamsburg, New York when they were on their way to Niagara Falls and stopped on the way to visit some friends. As they say, the rest is history.

Ortiz was generous enough to spend some time with me and share some advice for up-and-coming lawyers. I found the grit and determination that Ortiz has displayed throughout her career to be quite impressive. I believe you will as well.

Here is a (lightly edited and condensed) write-up of our conversation:

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Renwei Chung (RC): I noticed you spent some time at PricewaterCoopers, LLP after you graduated Syracuse University. What influenced you to enroll in law school and how did you choose the University of Buffalo Law School?

Jessica Ortiz (JO): At a very early age, I decided I wanted to be a lawyer, but several wise people counseled me not to be a pre-law major, as was very popular at the time I was going to college. I followed that sound advice and majored in business. To this day it has helped me understand the business of law and now helps me as I work on complex commercial litigation and white-collar crime. Given the growth the economy was experiencing in 2000, I was fortunate to get a job at PwC but quickly realized that I wanted to pursue my lifelong goal of becoming a lawyer. I studied for the LSAT at night and on the weekends (while often traveling for work).

I applied to law school shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, having been deeply moved by the events the world witnessed. I knew that I wanted to become a lawyer to make a change in the world. After applying to a dozen and a half law schools all over the country, I decided to go to Buffalo because I thought it was a great school that would allow me to go onto public interest work without being saddled with large amounts of student loan debt.

RC: Being the first in your family to become a lawyer, what attracted you to the legal profession?

JO: To this day, I haven’t been able to pinpoint what attracted me to the legal profession. I recall debating and negotiating with my parents at a very young age. Over time, people told me that I’d make a good lawyer. As a young student, I joined mock trial teams and attended a high school with a special law and government curriculum. These experiences exposed me to lawyers, various different areas of the law, and trial skills. I greatly enjoyed the mock trials and the classes, and these experience solidified at a very early age that I wanted to become a lawyer.

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RC: You were an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP in New York City and London before becoming a law clerk for the Honorable Julio M. Fuentes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Ten years ago, it wasn’t as common to do a few years at a Biglaw Firm and then clerk. What made you want to pursue a clerkship after already securing an associate position?

JO: One of the consequences of attending a school that was not ranked as high was that I was forced to work a little harder, think outside the box, and sell my skills and promise. I was fortunate to get a summer associate position at Weil after sending them (by snail mail) my cover letter, résumé, and transcript.

At the time, Weil did not conduct on-campus interviews at Buffalo or collect résumés from Buffalo. I was determined to get a summer associate position in New York, so I spent hours putting together to packets to all the top firms in New York. I had a similar experience when I tried to get a clerkship at the beginning of my third year. I send out hundreds of clerkship applications – I had one interview, and one judge called to thank me and encourage me to continue applying.

Unable to secure a clerkship during law school, I recognized that going to Weil as an associate was a great experience and would give me great training. While I was an associate at Weil, I decided to try again for a clerkship – it was becoming more common for judges to want their clerks to have work experience. And I’m glad I tried again because clerking for Judge Fuentes was one of the best experiences of my professional career.

RC: You mentioned how much you value your experience as a law clerk. What were some of your favorite things about the experience?

JO: Clerking is an experience so unique and so unlike any other job in the legal profession. I enjoyed working with my co-clerks and the Judge to bounce around legal theories, talk about cases, andstrategize about the approach to opinions, ultimately having a hand in crafting a piece of work that would become part of our jurisprudence.

RC: When did you realize you wanted to return to private practice after serving as a federal prosecutor? And why did you choose MoloLamken?

JO: There is no easy time to leave the U.S. Attorney’s Office, but there came a time when I realized I had done a lot of great work as a prosecutor and felt fulfilled with what I had accomplished in my time there. I also had the privilege of supervising assistants in the office and passing along some of the lessons I’d learned during my time as an AUSA. When I looked back at my time, with pride, I knew that it was time for a new chapter. Some of the best lawyers I know are always looking for the next challenge, the next opportunity, and pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. That was what I wanted to do.

I ultimately chose MoloLamken because of the firm’s reputation for being a firm that goes to trial, because they have high-quality lawyers and because they are a new firm that is growing and has an expansive national and international reach.

RC: What career advice do you have for law school students and recent law school graduates?

JO: Yes, a few pieces of advice:

1) Seek out and try different opportunities. You will be surprised at what you enjoy. In law school and very early on in my career, I would have never thought about being an AUSA. I learned about what AUSAs did and talked to former AUSAs. And now I look back and know that it was a great opportunity for me to grow as an attorney and become a great trial lawyer.

2) Cultivate mentors and a safe network. For first-generation lawyers and students of color, it is extremely important to find people who are willing to mentor you and provide you with honest feedback. Reach out to people who you want to learn more about or learn more from. Invite them for a cup of coffee. Ask their advice, you’d be shocked at how giving people are with their time.

I recently did this when I was looking to move on from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and there are lawyers all around who are willing to share their experiences and advice. So have all different types of mentors. And have a “safe network” – a group of people who will read what you write and give you feedback, who you can call for a gut check, who you can call when you don’t know the answer to something or who will give you good advice when you are struggling with an issue.

RC: It was great chatting with you. Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

JO: Readers — don’t be afraid to shake things up. Go after your dreams. Knock down some doors. Take risks. Work hard. Play hard.

RC: On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I would like to thank Jessica Ortiz for sharing her experience and wisdom with our audience and wish her continued success in her career.

Earlier: More Prominent Prosecutors Leaving For Private Practice

Renwei Chung is the Diversity Columnist at Above the Law. You can contact Renwei by email at projectrenwei@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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