About Connor
Connor Jepson took a direct path from the newsroom to the courtroom. He earned a B.A. in Journalism from California State University, Humboldt in 2014, then enrolled at Gonzaga University School of Law and received his J.D. in 2019. His academic background combined reporting skills with legal training, a pairing that shaped how he approaches casework and written advocacy.
While still in law school he sought hands-on legal experience. In 2017 he served as a judicial extern for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. The following year he worked as a legal intern for the Washington State Senate, where he encountered legislative drafting and policy review. Those early roles exposed him to federal courtroom procedure and the mechanics of state government.
After graduation he joined Maxey Law Office PLLC as a criminal defense lawyer in 2019. In 2020 his resume shows two distinct entries: he served as a judicial law clerk at the Washington State Court of Appeals and also took on criminal defense work at Vindicate Criminal Law Group. Whether researching opinions for the bench or arguing motions for clients, he moved between appellate research and trial practice in short order.
Jepson holds a Professional Research Certification from LexisNexis, a credential that underscores his comfort with legal research platforms and secondary-source work. He is a member of the Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association and the Washington Defender Association, joining both organizations in 2021. Those memberships connect him to local court practices and defense-oriented resources.
In practice he combines courtroom experience with written advocacy. His appellate clerkship offered an inside view of how judges analyze records and craft opinions, and he applies that perspective when preparing briefs and preserving issues for appeal. On the trial side he handles pretrial motions and client interviews, and he regularly conducts legal research that informs strategy and pleading drafting.
Connor Jepson currently practices criminal defense at Vindicate Criminal Law Group. His work covers trial-level representation and appellate matters, and he continues to maintain memberships that tie him to the Washington defense bar.
