JoEllyn L. Jones Esq. is a mother, daughter, sister, friend, and defense attorney.

She is a graduate of Rowan University and Widener Law School.  Realizing the dream of practicing law for was anything but east for JoEllyn. December of her senior year in high school her brother was murdered. Upon graduating from Rowan, she found out she was pregnant with her daughter Arjai putting a delay on her attending Law School. Although unplanned Arjai has been an amazing blessing to her life. When Arjai turned 1, JoEllyn still had the desire to become a lawyer and applied and was accepted to Widener University. She worked during the day and went to school at night. In 2010, she graduated from Widener and began practicing law in December 2010, her first court appearance was the day after she was sworn into the bar. That day she knew the courtroom was where she belonged. Her first job as attorney was with Adler & Stomel in Bridgeton NJ. She left there only after 11 months and started her own law office. After only practicing law for 4 years, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had to stop practicing law for 1 year while she underwent surgery and chemotherapy. Not being in the court room was hard for JoEllyn but as soon as the doctors cleared her, she went back to the courtroom. When she returned to the courtroom, she continued working for herself but shortly took a per-diem position with the NJ Office of the Public Defender. After 1 year working as per-diem she took a full-time position with the Office of the Public Defender as a trial attorney. She is now in the process of closing out her work with the PD and will be once again going into private practice.

In addition to her work with ABWL, she is active in other organizations. She is member of the Cumberland County Bar Association where she is a Trustee and co-chair of the Diversity Committee. She is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers where she sits on the Diversity Committee and De-carceration Committee. In addition, she is member of the National Association of Public Defenders and Black Public Defender’s Association.