Jennifer J. Applegate
866-895-4129
Attorney Jennifer Applegate joined our firm in 2010 to take over our family law practice. She is a 2008 graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she was the recipient of the Dean's Scholarship and the Zief Scholarship. While in law school, Jennifer excelled at - and won multiple awards for - both oral and written advocacy. She was a contributor and Senior Editor on the USF Maritime Law Journal, and taught a Street Law class at a San Francisco high school. Throughout law school, Jennifer worked as a clerk in the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office, where she was able to put her oral argument skills to use. In addition to many successful appearances in the Superior Court, Jennifer wrote and successfully argued a motion before the Sonoma County Appellate Court.
Following her graduation and admission to the California Bar in 2008,Jennifer did extensive pro bono work at Legal Aid of Sonoma County. She assisted clients with cases that included domestic violence, schoolyard bullying, workplace attacks, civil harassment elder abuse, and dependent adult abuse. Her work with victims of domestic violence gave Jennifer exposure to the family-law issues of dissolution, support, custody and visitation, and protective orders. Her Legal Aid clients praised her strength, compassion, and approachability, as well as the results she achieved for them.
Jennifer was born in New York, went to college in Philadelphia, and lived in Boston before moving to the Bay Area in 1996. She loves living in Santa Rosa and is learning Spanish to better assist her Spanish-speaking clients.
Areas of Practice
- Family Law
- Civil Harassment
Bar Admissions
- California, 2008
Education
- University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, California
- J.D. - 2008
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- B.A. (Cum Laude)
- Honors: With Honors
- Major: English
Honors and Awards
- Legal Aid of Sonoma County 2010 Golf Classic: "Best Volunteer"
- Legal Aid of Sonoma County: Volunteer of the Year, 2009
- USF School of Law Advocate of the Year Competition: Semifinalist
- John R. Brown National Moot Court Competition: Semifinalist; Best Brief, runner-up
- USF School of Law Intensive Advocacy Program: the Brennan Award for Creativity and Innovation in Advocacy
- USF School of Law Appellate Advocacy class: High Honors for written brief and for oral argument
- USF School of Law Moot Court: Best Oral Argument.
- USF School of Law: Recipient of John C. Scully '91 Memorial Law Scholarship, Zief Scholarship, and Dean's Scholarship
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Sonoma County Bar Association
Pro Bono Activities
- Legal Aid of Sonoma County, January 2009 - present




