MEET JESSICA
Jessica Mangrum was raised in the small town of West, Texas (McLennan County). Her father has practiced law in Waco for over forty years. He represented people with divorce and custody disputes, personal injury and worker’s compensation cases, real estate, small business matters, and also defended criminal and juvenile cases. From a young age, Jessica admired that her father was a “helper” and vowed to follow her dad’s footsteps and become an attorney.
Jessica has been an active Democrat for decades.
Interested in politics and government at a young age, Jessica attended the inauguration of Governor Ann Richards with her grandparents. While a student at UT, she interned for Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Constable Bruce Elfant. Jessica graduated with a degree in government.
After graduation,
she worked as a legislative assistant in Washington, DC for Congressman Chet Edwards before returning to Austin to earn her law degree. Both as a delegate and as a volunteer, Jessica has attended various county and state Democratic conventions over the years and twice served as a Voter Protection Attorney for Obama for America.
A licensed member of the State Bar of Texas since 2002,
Jessica is also admitted to practice in each of the federal judicial districts in Texas and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a life fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and is rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell. Jessica is a partner with Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, LLP. Her practice is focused on civil litigation, including personal injury, professional liability, and construction cases. She is board certified in Construction Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has been named a Texas Super Lawyer several times.
An active member of the legal community,
Jessica has served on the Board of Directors for both the Austin Young Lawyers Association and the Austin Bar Association. Jessica has also served as an instructor in the trial advocacy program at UT Law. She is a member of the Texas Bar College and handles pro bono cases from Volunteer Legal Services. Jessica was appointed by the Austin City Council in 2014 to serve on the Building and Standards Commission. The Commission hears cases involving alleged violations of the City’s housing and dangerous buildings regulations. Jessica is currently serving as the Chair of the Commission.
Jessica is highly engaged in local Democratic clubs;
she is an active member of Central Austin Democrats, West Austin Democrats, Greater ATX National Women’s Political Caucus, and the Capital Area Democratic Women. Jessica has been involved with a variety of community groups, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Meals on Wheels, and Austin Habitat for Humanity. Jessica and her husband John Ford reside in central Austin with their daughter. The family also includes two rescue dogs, Fran and Ollie. Jessica enjoys running, reading, and spending time outdoors.