Jessica Melms joined BB&W as an Associate Attorney in 2025, having honed her expertise in energy law and regulatory compliance during her tenure at Ellison Schneider Harris & Donlan and at the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). In her practice, Jessica represents independent generators, community choice aggregators, publicly owned utilities, trade associations and project developers before the California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, California Air Resources Board and the CAISO. She advises clients on matters involving interconnection, compliance, siting, and regulatory analysis, with a particular emphasis on guiding clients through complex regulatory frameworks – including resource adequacy compliance.

Jessica earned her juris doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 2021 where she received a concentration in Public Policy. While at McGeorge, Jessica served as President of the Environmental Law Society and coached the school’s Moot Court team at the Chicago Bar Association and UCLA Cyber Security competitions. In addition to her experience at the CAISO, Jessica clerked at land-use and water law firms, where she focused on environmental permitting, water rights analysis, and regulatory compliance in land use planning. Before attending law school, Jessica graduated from UC Davis in 2018 with a degree in Environmental Policy Analysis & Planning.