The Hispanic National Bar Foundation is pleased to introduce the HNBF’s 2025 Latina Leadership honoree. Please join us as we honor Jessica Ortiz for her outstanding achievements and her commitment to mentorship, advocacy, and equity in the legal profession.
Jessica Ortiz currently serves as Executive Director/Associate General Counsel within the General Counsel Office of EY LLP. As a member of the Litigation and Disputes team, Jessica manages and oversees litigation matters, investigations, regulatory inquiries and other legal matters for the US firm.
Ms. Ortiz previously served as Deputy Inspector General for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, leading a team of 170 investigating fraud, corruption, and misconduct with respect to employees, or other individuals or organizations doing business with the Port Authority.
Prior to that, she was a Partner at MoloLamken LLP, a boutique litigation firm, representing clients in high-stakes civil and white-collar criminal cases.
During her 8-year tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ms. Ortiz led 15 jury trials to conviction, including a three-month RICO enterprise trial. She also has extensive appellate experience before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Jessica began her career in securities litigation at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and previously was a Senior Technology Security Associate for the Global Risk Management Service of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
A magna cum laude graduate of the University at Buffalo Law School, Ms. Ortiz was a member of the Law Review and a recipient of the Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship. Ms. Ortiz serves as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council. She earned her B.S. in Law & Public Policy and Management Information Systems from Syracuse University, also graduating magna cum laude.
Passionate about mentorship and advocacy, Ms. Ortiz serves on the boards of the New York Lawyers Assistance Group and the When There Are Nine Scholarship Project, which honors Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy by advancing equity in the legal profession. She also co-chairs the New York Judicial Internship Opportunity Program sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section and volunteers with the Girl Scouts of America. In the past she also served on the LatinoJustice Líderes board where she worked alongside other Latino attorneys to advance educational opportunities for Latino law students and fight for civil rights through advocacy and education. She also participated in panels and workshops to help other generations of Latino lawyers pave their way as a means of giving back to LatinoJustice as she herself was a beneficiary of their programming in applying and attending law school.
Ms. Ortiz lives with her husband Kevin and her daughters Olivia and Reagan in East Brunswick, New Jersey. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, dancing and reading.
Learn More about Jessica Ortiz:
