Jessica McDonald is an experienced divorce lawyer and an aggressive trial attorney in all areas of criminal and family law. Jessica's primary practice is in Bonham, TX.

Jessica earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from West Texas A&M University. While there she competed on the University's Forensic team, specializing in persuasive speaking. She attended Texas Tech School of Law on an academic scholarship and while in law school she participated in both Moot Court and Mock Trial. Jessica was the winner in the 1997 Texas Tech School of Law Mock Trial finals and she graduated with her law degree in 1998.

Before opening her practice, Jessica worked as a prosecutor for many years. She has tried all types of cases, including capital murder, on both sides of the courtroom. She previously represented the Texas Department of Family Protective Services, prosecuting cases for the protection of abused and neglected children, and was featured in the Texas Bar Journal for her role with CPS and the importance of fostering and adopting children in need. Jessica is also a former foster parent, and subsequently adopted 4 children, who were victims of child abuse and neglect, through CPS. 

Since starting her own firm, Jessica continuously applies the skills she developed as a prosecutor, along with her vast knowledge of the legal system, to provide vigorous and skillful representation for her clients in various criminal, adoption, divorce, and child custody matters. She has a special ability to explain complex legal issues simply and understandably. This ability makes her relatable and likable to juries. 

In addition to Jessica's superior representation of clients in the courtroom, she is highly skilled in both legal research and writing and regularly writes criminal and civil appeals. Jessica has successfully overturned multiple criminal convictions through her work as an appellate attorney and has argued before three different circuit appellate courts on various criminal and CPS cases. Jessica has even argued a capital murder case before the highest criminal court in Texas, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, an absolute privilege and rarity for appellate attorneys!

One accomplishment Jessica is most proud of is her 2018 victory in the Court of Criminal Appeals where her argument and presentation convinced all 9 justices of the Court of Criminal Appeals to issue a unanimous decision to reverse the criminal conviction of a client she fought hard and tirelessly to exonerate.

https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/2018/pd-0001-17.html