Jessica L. Ward

Jessica L. Ward joined Appleby Healy in 2021. Prior to joining Appleby Healy, Jessica served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri since 2020 and Unit Manager and Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri since 2014. She managed the Financial Services, Recovery Division in the Springfield and Kansas City Attorney General Offices. Jessica is a 2005 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law with a certificate in Intellectual Property and Electronic Commerce. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, from Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla). 

Biography

Prior to joining Appleby Healy, Attorneys at Law, P.C., Jessica Ward served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri and Unit Manager and Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri Attorney General’s office. Jessica prosecuted federal crimes while also managing two groups at the Attorney General’s office and handling her own recovery caseload. 

Prior to her service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, Jessica operated her own law practice, Ward Law Office in Springfield, Missouri from 2012 to 2014. Jessica provided legal services to the Springfield area and surrounding counties, including family law, criminal defense, worker’s compensation, personal injury, social security disability, and general litigation. 

Before opening her own firm, Jessica practiced at a Springfield law firm specializing in social security disability and worker’s compensation and a firm specializing in general litigation and class action suits.

Jessica also served the State of Missouri as an Assistant Attorney General for child support, and as an Assistant Public Defender II where she gained a great deal of experience defending criminal cases. She served as a volunteer attorney for the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, assisting with estate planning and other legal issues. 

Jessica has greatly enjoyed serving the citizens of Missouri in both her public service and private practice roles. She is pleased to be back assisting the citizens of southwest Missouri. 

For Jessica’s biography in bulleted list form, please view the content below.

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