Jennifer Barnes is an advocate for equal justice in the classroom and the courtroom, where she trains and supervises student attorneys, and in the community, where she assists individuals without adequate resources to obtain legal services.
In addition to her duties as Associate Dean, Professor Barnes is a Clinical Professor of Law and is Faculty Director of the Civil Litigation Clinic. She teaches a seminar course and manages student and faculty caseloads, supervises student attorneys representing clients in housing, employment, and consumer fraud cases, evaluates and assigns client intakes, and oversees clinic staff.
Prior to teaching, Professor Barnes was a trial attorney for 14 years. She and her law firm's largest verdict was $8.25 million, which involved a wrongful death and a plaintiff who sustained catastrophic injuries. Professor Barnes joined her alma mater as a visiting professor in 2001. Under her direction, the former Civil Justice Clinic received the top award from the Volunteer Lawyers Program for providing legal services to Arizona victims of foreclosure equity scams.
Throughout her career, Professor Barnes has demonstrated her superior education and leadership skills, having been awarded the prestigious YWCA “Education Leader Award” during its Tribute to Women and named one of the Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys in Arizona. She further received the “Outstanding Teaching Award” from the 2004 law school graduating class.
Professor Barnes serves on the board of directors of the Arizona Legal Center, and is a past president of Community Legal Services. She is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, Maricopa County Bar Association, Clinical Legal Education Association, and the Association of American Law Schools.