Attorney Johnda D. Scott Brings 20 Years of Criminal Defense Experience to The Alvarez Law Firm

Former Virginia public defender and published author expands criminal defense, family law, and juvenile justice practice in Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA, UNITED STATES, April 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Alvarez Law Firm, PLLC has added attorney Johnda D. Scott to its Alexandria practice, bringing more than two decades of criminal defense and family law experience to a firm already recognized for its personal injury and immigration work across Northern Virginia.

Scott, a graduate of George Washington University Law School and Douglass College at Rutgers University, spent the early years of her career with the Commonwealth of Virginia Office of the Public Defender, representing indigent criminal defendants in both Central and Northern Virginia courtrooms. She went on to own and operate her own general practice firm in Prince William County for eight years, handling a caseload concentrated in criminal law and family law matters.

Her arrival comes at a time when Virginia's criminal defense landscape faces significant pressure. A 2023 report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found that the number of attorneys serving as court-appointed defense attorneys in Virginia declined by more than half between fiscal year 2013 and fiscal year 2023, dropping from nearly 4,000 to approximately 1,900. The decline has accelerated since 2020, with 60 percent of remaining court-appointed attorneys telling JLARC they were considering leaving or reducing their caseload within the following 12 months. That shortfall has increased the importance of experienced private criminal defense attorneys across the commonwealth.

At The Alvarez Law Firm, PLLC, Scott handles criminal defense cases, including misdemeanor and felony charges, DUI/DWI matters, juvenile defense, and traffic court representation. She also manages family law cases involving divorce, custody, and child support, and contributes to the firm's personal injury practice.

"After spending years in the public defender system and then building my own practice from the ground up in Prince William County, I understand what defendants and families face when they walk into a Virginia courtroom for the first time," said Johnda D. Scott, Esq., Attorney at The Alvarez Law Firm, PLLC. "The stakes in criminal and family law cases are not abstract; they affect someone's ability to keep a job, maintain custody of their children, and move forward with their life."

Scott's professional activity extends beyond her legal practice. She is co-author of The Parenting Odyssey: Trials, Treasures and Triumphs of Parenting in a Pandemic, an anthology featuring the experiences of fifteen parents from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is currently working on her second book. She has hosted her own podcast since 2020 and is a sought-after public speaker on topics including child loss and recovery, juvenile justice, and media and politics. Scott currently serves on the Board of Directors of Healing Through Change and as General Counsel for the STEM Education and Innovation Center, a nonprofit in Fredericksburg, Virginia that provides STEM learning opportunities for underserved youth.

Her addition gives The Alvarez Law Firm, PLLC a two-attorney team with distinct but complementary backgrounds. Firm founder Sylvano A. Alvarez, Esq., who graduated cum laude from the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law after a career in Silicon Valley's tech industry, focuses on personal injury litigation and immigration law. With Scott handling criminal defense and family law matters, the firm now covers four major practice areas, personal injury, criminal defense, family law, and immigration, under one roof at its Alexandria office near the Duke Street corridor.

The firm, which maintains a 4.9-star rating across 94 Google reviews, offers free initial consultations and will travel to clients at their home, hospital, or other location when injury or circumstance prevents an office visit. Spanish-language services are available.

About The Alvarez Law Firm
The Alvarez Law Firm, PLLC, is a family-oriented law practice located at 50 South Pickett Street, Suite 110, in Alexandria, Virginia. The firm serves clients across Northern Virginia in personal injury, criminal defense, family law, and immigration matters. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, call (703) 888-0959 or visit https://alvarezlawfirm.net/.

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Media Contact
The Alvarez Law Firm, PLLC
Address: 50 S Pickett St STE 110, Alexandria, VA 22304
Phone: (703) 888-0959
Website: https://alvarezlawfirm.net/

Sylvano Alvarez
The Alvarez Law Firm, PLLC
+1 (703) 888-0959
email us here

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