Jessica Lyons

Jessica Lyons received her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law – Newark, where she was awarded the Marsha Wenk Fellow and Eli Jarmel Public Interest Advocacy Award.   She graduated from Rutgers College-New Brunswick, majoring in Administration of Justice and Sociology.  After graduating from College, she obtained her Paralegal Certificate at Baruch College and worked full-time for a year as a paralegal at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, in New York City.  Jessica interned at the Office of the Public Defender at the Middlesex and Morris Regions, during both undergraduate and law school. 

Jessica clerked in Morris County Superior Court before joining the Office of the Public Defender in 2003 as an Assistant Deputy Public Defender in the Union Region.  Although her primary position was on the adult trial team, Jessica has also served as the Recovery Court and Mental Health/Jail Diversion Program Attorney.  In August 2012, Jessica was appointed First Assistant Deputy Public Defender in the Union Region.  In January 2015 she became the Deputy Public Defender in Mercer.  In May 2022 she was appointed to Assistant Public Defender where she supervises Youth Defender Services, Ancillary Services, and Burlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren trial regions.