Thalia Mendoza

Thalia Mendoza was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in Miami, Florida. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Florida State University in the summer of 2022. Ms. Mendoza has been working with the Law Offices of Craig J. Brown for over five years, where she currently serves as a Legal Assistant and Office Manager.

Ms. Mendoza is currently a Juris Doctor Candidate at Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law and is on track to graduate in May 2026. During law school, she has clerked with the Florida Department of Children and Families, Children’s Legal Services, where she advocated on behalf of children who were victims of abuse, abandonment, or neglect, or who were otherwise at risk. She has also clerked for an immigration law firm in Orlando, Florida, where she gained experience handling a wide range of immigration matters, including cases involving ICE, USCIS, and immigration court proceedings. Additionally, Ms. Mendoza interned with the Baez Law Firm, where she assisted with high-profile criminal defense cases.

For the past several years, Ms. Mendoza has remained actively involved with the Guardian ad Litem Program as a volunteer, advocating for the best interests of children, excluding a brief period during which she paused her volunteer service while working for the Department of Children and Families.

Throughout law school, Ms. Mendoza has demonstrated strong leadership and academic achievement. She served as Vice President of the Student Bar Association and Vice President of the Immigration Law Society. She was also selected as a Dean’s Study Fellow, serving as a teaching assistant for Federal Civil Procedure and mentoring first-year law students at Barry Law. This position is awarded only to students who earn an “A” in the course.

Ms. Mendoza assists with both the firm’s civil and criminal cases and is fluent in both English and Spanish. She will be sitting for the Florida Bar and intends to begin her legal career as an associate attorney at CJB Law, focusing primarily on criminal defense and immigration matters, while also handling civil litigation cases at the firm.

When asked what she values most about working at CJB Law, she shared:

“I truly love working at a small firm. I appreciate the close-knit environment and the opportunity to work closely with our clients and their loved ones. I treat our clients and their families as if they were my own, and I genuinely want them to succeed in all aspects of their lives, regardless of what they are facing. Advocating on their behalf and helping them resolve their cases is both challenging and rewarding. This is why I make it a point to stay in touch with clients even after their cases are resolved—to support them as they move forward. CJB Law’s mission and work ethic align closely with my own, which makes it incredibly fulfilling to work alongside like-minded professionals.”

In her free time, Ms. Mendoza can often be found in Franklin County, volunteering in the community, or—as many of the firm’s clients would attest—probably working.