As a tax, trusts and estates associate at Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP, Jessica is excited to live her dream by working with a team of experienced, skilled, empathetic, and ethical lawyers and professionals who collectively focus on providing client-centric solutions to assist clients in achieving short and long-term goals.

Jessica began her career in law as a corporate and family immigration paralegal.  Jessica had the opportunity to work at various sized law firms ranging from boutique to AmLaw200, and she served as the first senior business immigration paralegal for a top Tech company.  Jessica’s journey as an immigration paralegal spans four states: Ohio, Alabama, Georgia, and California.  With her sights set high on achieving her dream of becoming a lawyer, Jessica’s second act included law studies in New England.  In Jessica’s second year of law school, she was bitten by the tax bug, and the rest is history.  After earning an LL.M. in Taxation with a concentration in Estate Planning, Jessica decided to focus her professional efforts on private client taxation for individuals, business owners, and multigenerational families.

Jessica’s rich experience working as an immigration paralegal played an integral role in shaping the person and lawyer she is today.  As a product of global mobility, serving as an immigration paralegal was immensely personal and rewarding.  Having worked in such a complex area of law that provided the privilege to assist thousands of individuals from all over the world in their unique journeys continues to shape Jessica’s nuanced perspective on the complexities of what it means to “maintain status,” and the countless facets of the “family unit” in the United States.

Jessica possesses an undeniable desire to provide unmatched client service to meaningfully diverse clientele who seek to protect what matters most today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Education

  • Boston University School of Law, LL.M. in Taxation, 2021, Concentration in Estate Planning
  • Roger Williams University School of Law, J.D., 2020
  • University of Cincinnati, M.S. in Criminal Justice, 2008
  • Saint Mary’s College, B.A. in English, 2004, Minors: Women’s Studies and Intercultural Studies

Admissions & Associations

  • State of Illinois
  • State of Ohio-Pending
  • Chicago Bar Association, Member

Community Activities

  • The Centers El Barrio – Cleveland, OH 2022
  • Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Cancer Initiative – Atlanta, GA 2015 – 2016
  • Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Eviction Defense – Atlanta, GA 2016
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters – Birmingham, AL 2011 – 2016
  • Cleveland Domestic Violence Center – Cleveland, OH 2009 – 2010

Articles & Presentations

  • Most Significant IRS Release In Decades. Is It The Death Of Irrevocable Trust Decantings? CMBA Bar Journal, June 2024