About Jody A.
Jody A. Long earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Puget Sound in 1993, where she studied communication and placed an emphasis on business communication. She went on to receive her Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1996. The combination of a communication background and formal legal training shaped how she approaches problems from the start.
After law school, Long moved into practice at a time when legal work was shifting quickly toward electronic research and early online filing systems. The transition demanded clear written advocacy and careful client counseling. Those skills became central to her day-to-day work. She applied lessons from law school and from her undergraduate studies to real client matters, learning to translate complex legal concepts into plain language.
Her undergraduate focus on business communication influenced her early caseload and the way she interacts with clients. Long developed a methodical approach to client interviews and document drafting. She aims for clarity in both oral explanations and written correspondence. That orientation toward communication carries through litigation preparation, settlement discussions, and transactional work.
Over the years Long has kept current through continuing legal education and by following developments in case law and statute. She has worked on matters requiring careful analysis of facts and law, and on negotiations that depend on precise drafting. Colleagues describe her as methodical and steady in handling deadlines and procedural requirements. She favors practical solutions that resolve disputes efficiently, while preserving clients’ options when longer-term strategies are needed.
Outside the office Long has remained engaged with legal education opportunities and professional forums where attorneys discuss practice improvements and ethics. She has also mentored newer lawyers on practical skills such as client interviewing and persuasive writing. Those mentoring efforts reflect an emphasis on passing along practical knowledge rather than theory alone.
As of 2026 Long maintains a legal practice that draws on both her law degree and her background in business communication; her current practice centers on advising individuals and businesses on legal matters that benefit from clear legal analysis and careful client communication.
