Currently, a practicing criminal defense and family law attorney in Round Rock, Texas, Jessica “Jessi” Houghtby earned her bachelor’s degrees at the University of Texas at Austin and her juris doctorate at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
Jessi may have been born in Tucson, Arizona, but she got to Texas as fast as she could! After attending Pflugerville High School, Jessi decided burnt orange was a good color for her. At UT, she received a B.S. in Radio-Television- Film and a B.A. in Geography. She also had the honor of receiving a scholarship to represent the Longhorns nationally on the rowing team.
After receiving her undergraduate degrees, Jessi produced a local television show for a year. Realizing that television production was not allowing her make the kind of difference she wanted to make in the world, Jessi made the decision to change paths and go to law school. Prior to beginning law school at Texas Tech, Jessi worked as a paralegal at The Cochran Firm in Dothan, Alabama, where she also clerked for the summer after her first year of law school.
At The Cochran Firm, Jessi gained invaluable experience through working with top quality attorneys at a nationally recognized firm. Although primarily assisting with personal injury claims, she had the opportunity to research and work on several types of cases, including issues arising out of the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill.
During law school at Texas Tech, Jessi was a member of the Administrative Law Journal, the Phi Delta Phi law fraternity, and tutored other students in the areas of Torts and Constitutional Law. She also interned at the Federal Public Defender’s office for a semester, where she won the award for the top grade for her participation in the program. After a year as a staff editor for the Administrative Law Journal, Jessi was selected to be the Executive Lead Articles Editor on the Administrative Law Journal Board. Jessi graduated law school in May of 2012 and was subsequently licensed to practice law in November of 2012.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
That quote has guided Jessi through her practice as a family and criminal defense attorney at Pennington Law. The most important things are family and freedom. Jessi takes a holistic approach to practicing these two areas of law. Litigating family issues requires compassion and sincerity since, next to the death of a loved one, divorces and custody cases are the most difficult events a person can experience in their lifetime. Defending those accused of crimes requires understanding and diligence because so often simply being accused of a crime can deprive a person of their dignity and freedom. Jessi understands that when she meets a client, they are going through the hardest time of their life, and she works hard to help them obtain the best possible outcome for their particular situation and needs.
