Payal Jethva is an experienced criminal defense lawyer who is passionate about fighting for her clients to achieve the best possible outcome.
Payal earned her B.A. in Economics in 2005 from the University of Texas at Tyler. She graduated college within 2 years with a 4.0 in her major. In 2008, she completed her J.D. at Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston and passed the Texas Bar Exam just a few months after her 22nd birthday. Payal further went on to complete an LL.M. in International Law from the University of Houston in 2011.
Since she was 14 years old, Payal knew that she wanted to become a lawyer. As the eldest daughter of Indian immigrants, she saw the importance of knowing, and thereby protecting the legal rights of others within her community.
Payal began her legal career as a defense attorney in Houston from 2008 - 2016. She handled a wide range of criminal cases in Harris and surrounding counties. After moving to Austin in 2016, she worked with several criminal defense law firms. She quickly became familiar with the courts and prosecutors in Central Texas. Her consistency, perseverance, and attention to detail proved to be valuable for clients. Not only does she strive to make clients feel comfortable as they navigate through the complexities of the legal system, but she also pushes aggressively for prosecutors to dismiss cases based on the evidence.
Payal’s experience in Austin and Houston prepared her to deal with challenging courts and/or prosecutors in any county in Texas.