Biography

Jessica Cicchini was born and raised in rural Ohio. She grew up racing motocross and working at her family’s business – a motocross track in southern Michigan.  

Jessica went on to study political science at Eastern Michigan University, where she captained the mock trial team and learned that her future would be forged in the courtroom. After leaving Ypsilanti, MI, she became a proud Gopher at the University of Minnesota Law School and introduced a new generation to trial advocacy as a coach of the local undergraduate mock trial team. In her last year of law school, Jessica discovered her passion for social and criminal justice as a visiting student at Indiana University McKinney School of Law. 

A career litigator with over sixteen years of trial experience, Jessica has built a practice defined by effective, high-stakes work on both sides of the courtroom.  She handled hundreds of cases as a public defender for 12 years, including the most serious crimes, and she was always ready to go to trial when needed. Her goal was simple in name but required countless hours of research and dedication: put her clients in a better position than when they met her. During her tenure, she developed a special interest in children charged as adults, individuals with mental illness, and the unique challenges they each faced in the criminal justice system.   

In 2021, Jessica joined the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office as co-director of Indiana’s first Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) – a division dedicated to identifying and remedying wrongful convictions. Under her leadership, the CIU exonerated two men who were wrongfully convicted of murder, securing their release from prison after decades of unjust incarceration.  

Jessica’s other major projects at the CIU included a review of excessive sentencing in non-violent drug cases, which resulted in the release of approximately 30 people from unjust prison sentences, along with audits of police misconduct that led to the dismissal or reversal of dozens of criminal convictions affected by inappropriate behavior. She also regularly joined the office’s trial teams to prosecute critical cases in court. 

Yet no matter where she has practiced law, Jessica has remained a stalwart advocate who is committed to ensuring that justice is sought and miscarriages of justice are rectified whenever they occur. Her approach to litigation is consistently client-centered, striving to serve their best interests with integrity and provide efficient, compassionate, and results-driven representation. Her extensive trial background puts her in an ideal position to advocate for her current clients at Hensley Legal Group, where she has been making a difference on behalf of injured victims since 2025. 

Jessica lives with her husband in the Broad Ripple area.  She enjoys bicycling on the Monon, cooking, DIY projects, and lots of crafting.