Molly Brizgys
ATTORNEY
A former public defender who has also worked doing high-impact plaintiff’s side civil litigation, Molly uses her breadth of experience to represent clients facing a variety of complex problems.
Molly has successfully won dispositive search and seizure issues, persuaded prosecutors to not charge serious offense through meticulous pre-indictment investigations, and has won dismissal of federal firearms offenses. A methodical and experienced appellate attorney, she has argued and won published decisions in the Ninth Circuit and the Arizona Court of Appeals.
As a former lawyer at the ACLU of Arizona, Molly helped enforce complex court orders related to police reform and prison conditions. In this role, Molly earned the respect of a variety of stakeholders by taking time to listen, see, and understand various perspectives in order to craft innovative solutions.
In recent years, a significant portion of her practice has included defending a variety of entities and professionals in the health care field including coming up with creative, efficient solutions to licensing, regulatory, and criminal issues. She takes a human-centered approach, no matter how big the problem, and taps into a compelling narrative to figure out a nimble result.
Molly has also successfully represented a multitude of individuals in the university hearing process including those facing serious discipline, professional ramifications, and academic integrity issues.
Molly graduated from Stanford University as an English major and studied at Oxford University. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of San Francisco School of Law where she was the Editor-in-Chief of the law review. In her spare time, she enjoys backpacking in the wilds of Northwestern Montana with her family.
- Won dismissal of a federal firearms offense under an obscure provision of the tax code
- Won a probation sentence for firearms straw purchaser
- Was able to secure a deferred sentencing agreement for federal drug felony charge
- Not guilty verdict for several domestic violence offenses
- Not guilty verdict for misdemeanor criminal damage
- Successfully suppressed methamphetamine due to a Fourth Amendment violation which resulted in dismissal of the felony drug charge
- Successfully won release for a client incarcerated for 25 years on her first hearing before the Board
- CALI award winner, Contracts
- CALI award winner, Federal Courts
- McAuliffe Honor Society (2001-2004)
- Member of the Stanford Judicial Committee (1997)
- Federal Bar Association Member
- Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice
- Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU
- Criminal Justice Act Attorney, District Court of Arizona
- New Hampshire Public Defender
- Board of Advisors ASU’s School of Social Transformation
- Cooperating Attorney, Arizona Justice Project
- Desert Botanical Garden Children/Family Garden Experience Working Group (2015-2016)
- New Hampshire (2004)
- Arizona (2010)
- New Hampshire Supreme Court (2004)
- Arizona Supreme Court (2012)
- Arizona District Court (2010)
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2015)