Meet Dayna Jones

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dayna Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dayna , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I grew up in Eugene, Oregon where I was I was blessed to have spent my childhood with some of the greatest people I’ve ever met. My family was big family full of love and support, and the families of my friends were an extension of my own family. We were encouraged to think for ourselves, to advocate for what is right, and to truly be a member of society that plays an important role for supporting each other. I was always told I could be anything I wanted to be & that I could achieve anything I put my mind to—and I grew up knowing this was true.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a criminal defense attorney and the majority of my practice is focused on wrongful convictions. I’ve always had a strong disdain for any type of injustice, so the work I do is a true reflection of something I have always been passionate about. I am also now teaching in a criminal justice master’s program where I get to extend my passion to my students. It has been more rewarding than I expected!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think that really knowing myself and feeling confident with my strengths and respecting my own limitations has really helped me be comfortable in who I am as a lawyer. I am very empathetic and it helps me really connect with my clients which makes it easier to stand up for them. Finally, my confidence in myself to speak up and argue for what is right even when it’s hard has definitely helped in my field.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

I have two young children and both have special needs. Balancing a challenging career where I put my clients’ needs ahead of my own with a challenging home life taking care of my beautiful children is extremely hard. For a while when we first got their diagnosis, I was consumed with work and them and I left no time for myself or my personal relationships. It’s a work in progress, but finding balance and time for myself has helped me avoid burnout & it’s made me a better lawyer & mom.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jonesdefense.com