About Juanita
Juanita Guillen followed a steady academic path into the law. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Loyola Marymount University in 2006. Eight years later she earned her J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, finishing law school in 2014.
Her undergraduate study in political science gave her early exposure to legal ideas and public policy. At Thomas Jefferson School of Law she took courses that prepared her for practice and for the procedural demands of litigation. The timing of her degree placed her among a generation of lawyers who entered practice as the legal landscape was adjusting to new technologies and evolving court procedures.
After law school she built a practice rooted in California, where she is licensed to practice. She joined the firm Mellman & Mellman, LLP, and has been active in local legal organizations. She became a member of San Diego La Raza Lawyers in 2016 and joined the Louis M. Welsh Inn, No. 9 of the American Inns of Court as an associate in 2017. Those memberships reflect a continuing engagement with peers and an interest in the collegial exchange of advocacy techniques and ethics.
Her day-to-day work involves preparing cases, advising clients, and appearing in California courts. She handles pleadings and motions, participates in hearings, and engages in the case management that moves matters toward resolution. Colleagues describe her approach as methodical; she breaks complex problems into manageable steps and maintains attention to procedural detail. She also takes part in meetings and collaborative planning at her firm.
Outside of formal practice groups she has stayed connected to the legal community in San Diego through events and panels sponsored by local bar groups. That activity has kept her current on procedural developments and on the practical concerns that affect litigation and transactional work in the region. As of 2026 she remains based at Mellman & Mellman, LLP and practices law in California, handling matters in California courts.
