Jana Mathieu Of Counsel

Jana has a passion for standing up for the underdog. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and her law degree from Wayne State University. She began her legal career at plaintiff litigation firms in Detroit, where she represented individuals in civil lawsuits against major insurance companies, large employers, police departments, and other government agencies.

After moving to the Upper Peninsula, she became a law partner at Numinen, DeForge, and Mathieu, PLLC, where she focused primarily on criminal defense work.

During this time, the State of Michigan was spearheading significant reforms to 6th Amendment-mandated right-to-counsel systems throughout the state. Jana was recruited to assist in these efforts and helped plan and secure funding for appointed-counsel systems throughout Northern Michigan.

She then became the Chief Public Defender for Alger County, where she represented clients on charges ranging from misdemeanors to life offenses.

She now focuses her work on post-conviction relief, including direct appeals, motions for post-conviction relief, pardons, commutations, gun rights restoration petitions, driver’s license restoration, expungements, civil rights litigation against police departments and prisons, and any other issues with which clients’ need legal help after encountering injustices within the criminal legal system.

Jana is also on the Board of Directors for the Criminal Defense Association of Michigan, a member of the National Lawyers Guild, and has taught seminars on topics related to civil and criminal litigation.