Jessiah practices with the firm’s White Collar Defense, Investigations & Compliance practice group, where he represents clients in federal grand jury investigations, white-collar defense matters, and criminal appeals. He also maintains a general litigation practice, focusing on employment, civil defense, and commercial litigation matters, and specializing in dispositive and critical motions.
Prior to joining the firm, Jessiah clerked for the Honorable Mary Grace O’Brien of the Court of Appeals of Virginia and interned for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
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Unpublished short stories written
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Movies watched at least twice
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Lego minifigures collected
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People would be surprised to know:
During law school, I worked as an auxiliary janitor and housekeeper at the hotel my wife managed in Lexington, Virginia. I enjoyed it. I like the inherent satisfaction of leaving a place in better condition than I find it.
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Five songs everyone should listen to:
“Vitamin C” by German experimental rock band Can; “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” by American gospel blues artist Blind Willie Johnson; “Djougou Toro” by Burkinabe Yéyé group Volta Jazz; “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel; and “Alexander Nevsky, Op. 78-II: Song About Alexander Nevsky” by Russian-Soviet classical composer Sergei Prokofiev.
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In an alternate universe…
I would be an astrophysicist. My father, a brilliant high school physics teacher, instilled a deep appreciation of physics and astronomy in me during my childhood. In this universe, however, I lack the raw mathematical skills required to work as a scientist in either field.
Education
- Washington and Lee University School of Law, J.D. magna cum laude
- University of Valley Forge, B.A. summa cum laude
Experience
White Collar Experience
- Represented targets and witnesses in federal grand jury proceedings.
- Defended clients ranging from individuals to Fortune 500 companies in prosecutions and investigations brought by federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office.
- Researched and developed complex and novel defense strategies under a variety of federal and state laws, including the FFDCA, FCA, and AKS.
- Drafted dispositive motions and white papers in high-profile prosecutions.
- Represented clients in criminal appeals before the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Virginia.
- Won dismissal and appeal of Title IX investigation of Virginia Military Institute cadet.
General Litigation Experience
- Won dismissal, with prejudice, of federal civil RICO lawsuit against medical practice management and consulting business.
- Won summary judgment on four issues of first impression in state whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against a city.
- Represented ex-inmate plaintiff in federal Bivens lawsuit alleging denial of medical care and use of excessive force at a BOP facility.
- Drafted critical, dispositive, and discovery motions in employment, civil defense, and commercial litigation matters involving potential exposure ranging from $100,000 to $100 million.
- Successfully petitioned Virginia Court of Appeals to hear interlocutory appeal* on immunity and damages issues in employment lawsuit (*appeal later withdrawn as moot after settlement).
Affiliations
- Member, Virginia State Bar (2020-present)
- Member, Roanoke Bar Association (2022-present)
- Member, Federal Bar Association, Western District of Virginia Chapter (2021-present)
- Judge, American Bar Association Client Counseling Competition (2022)
- Judge, National Black Law Students Association Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition (2021, 2022)
- Volunteer, Virginia Model Judiciary Program (2021, 2022)
- Judge, National Moot Court Competition (2020, 2021)
- Appellate Advocacy Chair, Moot Court Executive Board, Washington and Lee University School of Law (2019-2020)
Admissions
- Virginia Bar
- United States District Court, Western District of Virginia
- United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
Awards
- 40 Under 40, The Roanoker Magazine (2024)
- Pro Bono Honor Roll, Virginia Access to Justice Commission (2023, 2024)
- President’s Volunteer Service Award: Bronze, AmeriCorps (presented by the Roanoke Bar Association) (2023)
- Best Petitioner Brief Award and Runner-Up Team, National Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition (2020)
Published Work
Jessiah’s research has been cited in a variety of academic and trade publications, including Bloomberg Law, Wisconsin Lawyer, Memphis Lawyer, Orange County Lawyer, the Arizona State University Sports & Entertainment Law Journal Blog, and Cointelegraph. Most notably, his Bloomberg Law article on AI standing orders was cited by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon of the Supreme Court of Singapore in his keynote speech at the inaugural Singapore-India Conference on Technology.
Representative Articles
- Dual-Purpose Communications and the Attorney-Client Privilege in the Fourth Circuit, Wake Forest Journal of Law & Policy (2024)
- More Adjudication in the New Uncanny Valley, Roanoke Bar Review (2024)
- Adjudication in the New Uncanny Valley, Roanoke Bar Review (2023)
- AI Standing Orders Proliferate as Federal Courts Forge Own Paths, Bloomberg Law (2023)
- Artificial Intelligence, Real Discrimination, Richmond Journal of Law and Technology Blog (2023)
- Renters with Criminal History as Quasi-Protected Class, The Fee Simple (The Journal of the Virginia State Bar Real Property Section) (2023)
