Jennifer Orthwein
Medina Orthwein LLP
After graduating from college, Jennifer went swiftly into bartending school, but after a brief and unsuccessful stint waiting tables with the hopes of someday being promoted to bartender, Jennifer set her sights on another career. Her goal this year is to keep BALIF members and the public well informed about issues impacting our community, and ensure members know about community events and opportunities through a variety of mediums.
CCBA Chair & Amicus Co-Chair
ccba@balif.org
amicus@balif.org
Jen Orthwein is a founding partner of Medina Orthwein LLP, an employment and civil rights law firm that is 100% queer owned. Jen’s practice focusses on transgender prisoner rights, whistleblower cases and employment discrimination matters. She received her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University. Jennifer was a Law Clerk at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Subsequently, she completed her training and began a career as a psychologist working in the California correctional system.
Jen transitioned from a career as a forensic psychologist to focus on legal and policy issues related to transgender individuals, particularly those impacted by the criminal justice system. She was Senior Counsel of the Detention Project at Transgender Law Center and currently works with TGI Justice Project as a legal-psychological consultant. Jen often serves as an expert psychological witness and has trained and lectured state mental health employees, doctoral students and attorneys on mental health and public policy issues related to LGBT individuals. She also co-authored publications related to practitioner liability in cases of suicide and gender bias in the criminal justice system.
Jen lives in Alameda with her wife (Meredith), their two children (AJ and Charlotte), and their dog (Stella).