Jaya Varghese

Jaya Varghese is a graduate of the University Of Toledo College Of Law.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree and Masters of Science Degree from Wayne State University.  She joined the Will County Public Defender’s Office in 2005 and was assigned to the aggravated traffic and Misdemeanor Division.  In 2007, Jaya was promoted to the Felony Division where she handled several Felony jury and bench trials. She was also assigned to work in many of the diversionary programs through the Problem Solving Courts. As a result she has extensive experience working in Drug Court, Veteran’s Court and ARI Court.

In 2012, Jaya was promoted to the position of Misdemeanor Chief where she supervised and trained seventeen (17) Assistant Public Defenders.  

Serving the community has been a high priority and goal for Jaya.  It is this sense of commitment to the community that has led her to volunteer at Big Brothers Big Sisters for Will and Grundy Counties, serve as President of the Will County Women’s Bar Association for two years and serve as the Immediate Past President for the Will County Bar Association.  Jaya also coaches new attorneys at OSAD’s Jamie Kunz Trial Advocacy Program.

Since 2018 Jaya has been the Felony Chief at the Will County Public Defender’s Office.