Jessica Lisa Lieck

Jessica Lisa 'Jessy' Lieck is a criminal defense attorney with Dunham & Jones, practicing out of the firm's Austin office. She handles DWI, assault and family violence, and drug cases, from misdemeanors to felonies, in Travis County, where she grew up, and in Williamson, Fayette, and Lee Counties. She has built her practice around a mitigation-first philosophy: a case is prepared from day one with the intensity and rigor trial demands, while she works behind the scenes to reduce risk and preserve options long before a jury is ever picked.

Ms. Lieck graduated summa cum laude from Texas State University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Criminal Justice. She earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2023, where she focused her studies on criminal law and innocence work. During law school she served two terms as President of the Criminal Law Association, led the Texas Tech chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, advised on the Diversity Advisory Board, served as a State Bar Qualified Law Student in the Criminal Defense Clinic, worked as a research assistant, and was a member of the Student Bar Association.

Her academic record was recognized with "Top Grade" awards in Criminal Defense Clinic, Texas Juvenile Law, and Capital Punishment Seminar. She received the Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP Diversity Scholarship, the Criminal Law Association Scholarship, the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Education Institute Charles Butts Scholarship, and the Brendan and Brian Murray Criminal Defense Endowed Scholarship. She was also honored with the Diversity Student Award for her commitment to advancing diversity at Texas Tech and within the profession, and with the Pro Bono Achievement Award for completing more than 200 hours of pro bono service. Her work as a research assistant was published in the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association magazine, Voice for the Defense, in the article "Safeguards to Prevent Juveniles from Incompetent Representation" (2022).

Before joining Dunham & Jones, Ms. Lieck was a law clerk and then an associate attorney at Nicholson Law Group in Lubbock, an associate criminal and immigration attorney at Deandra Grant Law in Austin, and the managing attorney at Cardenas Witt Law in Austin.

In 2024, she completed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Program, the same certification course law enforcement officers complete before administering roadside testing. That training has sharpened her cross-examination of arresting officers in DWI and intoxication cases. In 2026, she graduated from the TCDLA Tim Evans Texas Criminal Trial College and was named a TCDLA Rising Star, an award presented at the annual Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Course in San Antonio. She was also recognized as a 2026 Super Lawyers Rising Star. She has presented continuing legal education programs for TCDLA and at the Dog Days of Summer Advanced Criminal Law Seminar on mitigation strategy, client control, and how young attorneys can earn second-chair trial experience.

In addition to the state courts of Texas, Ms. Lieck is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and she also practices before the immigration courts of the Executive Office for Immigration Review.

Ms. Lieck is actively involved with the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCDLA), where she serves as Vice Chair of both the New Lawyers Committee and the Law Students Committee and was elected to the Board of Directors for the 2026-2027 term. She is also a member of the Texas Bar College, an honorary society that recognizes Texas attorneys who voluntarily complete substantially more continuing legal education than the State Bar requires, and a member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association.

Her own experience with the criminal legal system led her to criminal defense, because it showed her the harm the system can do to the accused and their families. Ms. Lieck believes every client's story deserves to be told and that each client is a person, not a case number.

Outside of her practice, Ms. Lieck enjoys spending time with her dog, Wyatt, and her three nephews, Micah, Maddox, and Kingston. She is a devoted Taylor Swift fan, loves binge-watching true crime documentaries, and can often be found relaxing by the pool.