Wendy Mendelson is a rock star. Well, sort of.
Mendelson, founder of The Mendelson Law Firm in Scottsdale, is a criminal defense attorney who is a rising star in her field. She has a mean singing voice, too. Her journey has included some intriguing stops along the way, leading her to the line of work that she finds fulfilling.
She grew up in Ohio, where her life included plenty of friends, sports and an active lifestyle in the Jewish community. Her father was vice president of their synagogue, and the family was involved in many Jewish activities that enriched her and her brother’s childhood. For example, her parents and grandparents took part in Taharah, the cleansing of the dead. She herself attended Hillel Academy, a Jewish day school, until she was in the sixth grade.
Even now as a young adult, Mendelson is still very close to her family – grandmother, aunts and uncles, and cousins still live in Ohio.
In grade school, the family realized they were seeing an interesting trait in this young girl – the daughter liked to argue. Many, many times her dad would scratch his head as she would make her case for whatever problem was being solved.
“My family knew early on I didn’t like to take no for an answer,” says Mendelson with a laugh.
High school saw Mendelson excelling in sports. Whether it was volleyball, softball, soccer or tennis, Mendelson was really good at it. The allure of working with people, solving the problem and working as a team inspired Mendelson. She loved sports, and the games loved her back as she made friends everywhere she played.
While life in high school was fun and engaging, when it came time to pick a college, Mendelson went against the norm. Her parents had moved to Arizona after her senior year but before her freshman year in college, so it made her college decision challenging. She had become even more independent, so, when it was time to pick a university, it was no surprise that she decided to rebel a bit.
“Everyone where I went to school wanted to go to Ohio State. So I rebelled and went to Indiana,” says Mendelson.
At Indiana University, Mendelson flourished, doing well at school while being a leading member of Sigma Delta Tau, a Jewish sorority on campus. She was a bright student, graduating at the top of her class while majoring in Criminal Justice and Business. Yet, with her family now in Arizona, it was hard for her because she couldn’t go home during holidays to the place where she had grown up.
When she graduated in 2002, she was at a crossroads. Like any young woman looking to make her mark, she was trying to decide what to do for a living. So this independent, bright young woman decided to do something crazy – she went into loss prevention, working at Neiman Marcus.
“That was my first job out of college,” says Mendelson with a grin. “I was trying my best to use my criminal justice degree.”
While trying to find her stride, a friend talked her into taking the LSAT, the SAT for potential attorneys. Mendelson aced the test and the rest is history.
When it came time to pick a law school, Mendelson once again took an unconventional approach. Instead of just looking at the academic side of things, she decided to make the surrounding area a top priority. There was no way she was going to law school in a place where it was cold and dreary. Instead, she ended up at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.
“I took one look at the beach and said ‘this is it,’ ” says Mendelson.
Mendelson handled law school like a pro. She did well academically while getting a good feel for how to argue, research cases and gather information.
“I am curious by nature,” says Mendelson. “So I really enjoy researching case law and finding the facts that could somehow turn a case.”
She passed the Arizona Bar Exam in 2007 and soon after took her first job as a criminal defense attorney. She worked for a small firm, but it was her chance to show what she could do. When she got the job, she wasn’t sure if she would like criminal work. It didn’t take long for her to fall in love with it.
Later she went to work for a much larger operation, one of the top law firms in Arizona. But by then she had begun to realize that she was pretty good at her job, so she made the bold choice to go out on her own. She founded The Mendelson Law Firm in 2010.
“I woke up one day realizing that I was giving them money I could keep for myself,” says Mendelson. “So I started my own firm.”
While Mendelson is a crack criminal defense attorney, she takes great pride in the fact that she does pro bono work, too. In addition, she currently has a contract with the City of Phoenix to provide public defender work for those who cannot afford the cost of retaining their own attorney.
Talking to her, you can tell she has a passion for the job. But it’s more than that – she has a sense of responsibility to her clients that she takes very seriously. While some people may be guilty, Mendelson still feels a deep obligation to protect those people from what can be an abusive system.
“We know that a lot of people are guilty but need solid representation,” says Mendelson. “But it is a checks and balances system. If the people running the system are going to break the rules, someone on the other side needs to keep them in check. “
Outside of work, Mendelson plays competitive softball, although it looks like she might be retiring after a knee injury put her on the shelf. And remember the singing mentioned earlier? Mendelson is an accomplished competition karaoke singer. She sings at local bars, establishments and with live bands when she gets the chance.
“I love it,” she says.
So whether it is in the court room, on the playing field or on stage singing her favorite song, Mendelson has built a life that she really enjoys.
“I wanted to do something helping people, using my personal skills to help better their lives,” says Mendelson. “I am an avid arguer and researcher, so the skills I possess are perfect for this job.”
