Jessica L Ellsworth

Jessica Ellsworth heads the firm's Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation practice. She has argued 100+ appeals across the U.S. Supreme Court, every federal appeals court, and a dozen state appellate courts, reflecting her deep experience helping clients solve litigation challenges.

A Chambers-ranked lawyer, Jess is a finalist for Appellate Attorney of the Year (D.C. Legal Awards, 2026), was named one of America’s Top Lawyers (Forbes, 2026), and was a finalist for Litigator of the Year (American Lawyer, 2025). She has also been named Litigator of the Week twice for Supreme Court wins and Most Innovative Supreme Court Lawyer by the Financial Times.

Known for being unflappable under pressure, Jess has won reversals of bench and jury trial verdicts and argued key trial motions when creating an appellate record is crucial. Her experience spans patent and trademark law, class actions, arbitrability, antitrust, statutory interpretation, and jurisdictional issues. Clients around the world look to Jess to navigate U.S. litigation at all levels of court.

Jess has provided embedded appellate support during trials for Fortune 100 clients, pursued and defended high-profile APA challenges, won constitutional rulings and interlocutory appeals, and both defeated and obtained certiorari review. She brings an appellate perspective to developing case strategy to achieve her clients' goals, focusing on persuasively crafting arguments and delivering a clear, engaging courtroom presentation. Her clients and successful appeals span the technology, automotive, pharmaceutical, health, education, and financial services industries.

Jess clerked for the Honorable Martha Craig Daughtrey (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit) and the Honorable Rebecca Beach Smith (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia). While in law school, Jess was named Best Oralist by then-U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter in the Harvard Law School Ames Moot Court Competition.