About Jess A.
Jess A. Lorona earned both her undergraduate and law degrees at Arizona State University, taking a steady path through studies in criminal justice. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in 1979 and went on to receive her Juris Doctor in 1982. Those years framed an early interest in courtroom work and public service that has carried through a long legal career.
She has practiced in Arizona for decades and maintains active ties to the state’s legal community. She is a current member of the State Bar of Arizona and belongs to several local and national professional organizations. Those affiliations range from trial-focused groups to criminal-justice associations and extend into legal education and community-oriented bars.
Lorona’s career includes time on the bench as well as at counsel’s table. She has served as a Judge Pro-Tem for the Hopi Tribal Court, handling matters that required attention to both procedural detail and the customs of a sovereign tribal judiciary. That experience gives her perspective on the overlap between state and tribal legal processes.
Her memberships reflect the variety of work she has engaged in. She is active in the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association and the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy, groups where courtroom practice and trial technique are central. She is also affiliated with Arizona Lawyers for Criminal Justice and the Maricopa County Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section, where practitioners exchange views on criminal procedure and defense strategy. On a national level, she belongs to the National Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, and she participates in organizations that connect law to education, including the National Education Association and the Arizona Education Association. She is also a member of the Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association.
Colleagues describe her as someone who moves easily between civil and criminal matters, bringing courtroom experience and an understanding of trial advocacy to each case. Over the years she has balanced roles as advocate, temporary judge, and participating member of bar organizations that shape practice standards in Arizona. Her background in criminal justice from undergraduate through law school gives a through-line to much of her work.
She practices through Lorona Mead, PLC, and appears in state and tribal venues. Her current practice addresses both criminal and civil litigation, with an emphasis on trial advocacy and representation in state and tribal courts.
