About Joseph Ellis
Joseph Ellis Jestus built a law career that moves quickly from classroom to courtroom. He completed a B.A. at Villanova University in 2013, studying English and Spanish and concentrating on Shakespeare and his contemporaries. He then earned a J.D. from Yeshiva University in 2016. Those years shaped his interest in advocacy and in the patterns of language that matter in trial work.
After law school he began practicing in Colorado. In 2017 he took a post as a deputy public defender with the Colorado State Public Defender. The role put him in court early and often. He handled arraignments, plea negotiations and bench and jury trials in state criminal matters. The job required quick preparation and steady advocacy for clients facing a range of charges.
In 2020 he joined Colorado Legal Defense Group as an associate lawyer. He now works out of the firm’s Colorado Springs and Greeley offices, where he handles criminal defense matters on behalf of individuals throughout the state. At the firm he has continued to try cases and argue motions, and he spends significant time in client interviews and case investigation. Colleagues describe him as methodical in trial preparation and persistent in courtroom advocacy.
Education and early defense work inform how he approaches cases. He tends to emphasize clear themes in the courtroom and careful fact-gathering before strategy choices are made. His undergraduate studies in literature and language show up in how he frames narratives and questions witnesses. The law school training added doctrinal rigor and practice skills that he applies in briefs and hearings.
He maintains current professional memberships and participates in local legal circles. That involvement keeps him connected to developments in criminal law in Colorado. It also provides opportunities to consult with other defense lawyers and to refresh trial techniques.
Outside of court, he spends time preparing written motions and coordinating investigative steps that support defenses. He balances a heavy court calendar with efforts to keep clients informed about their options and the stages of their cases.
Joseph Jestus practices at Colorado Legal Defense Group, splitting his time between the firm’s Colorado Springs and Greeley offices, and represents clients in criminal matters across Colorado. He currently concentrates his practice on criminal defense in the state of Colorado.
