Young Lawyers Section

Marcella Maxine Jayne, Esq.

Marcella Maxine Jayne, Esq. PLLC

Marcella M. Jayne is the Chair-Elect of the New York State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section, a voting member of the NYSBA House of Delegates, and the founder of a New York City litigation firm. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, consumer protection, employment disputes, and other complex civil matters.

Originally from Western Massachusetts, Marcella graduated with high honors from Greenfield Community College before attending Mount Holyoke College as a Frances Perkins Scholar. She spent much of her early life in public housing, including at Lyman Terrace, the nation’s oldest standing public housing development. While attending Mount Holyoke, she spearheaded a successful tenant-driven campaign to preserve and revitalize Lyman Terrace after it had been slated for demolition.

At the same time, Marcella worked with Springfield No One Leaves, a coalition formed in response to the foreclosure crisis. She coordinated limited appearance representation for otherwise pro se homeowners facing post-foreclosure evictions and assisted efforts to challenge foreclosures in Massachusetts, a non-judicial foreclosure state. She also worked with the Prison Birth Project, supporting incarcerated mothers and participating in advocacy efforts that helped secure passage of Massachusetts’ anti-shackling law, prohibiting the use of restraints on incarcerated women during labor and childbirth.

In 2014, she moved to New York City with her two young children to attend Fordham University School of Law’s Evening Division. During law school, Marcella interned with the Legislative Division of the New York City Council, the New York State Division of Human Rights, the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition and Bureau of Consumer Protection, and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division. She graduated cum laude, served as Student President of the Stein Scholars Council, and received the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award in recognition of her commitment to public service.

Marcella joined Foley & Lardner LLP as a summer associate and returned after graduation as a litigation associate. While at Foley, she worked on a wide array of matters, including commercial foreclosures, real estate disputes, FCRA litigation, and other complex civil matters. In 2025, she founded her own practice, bringing sophisticated litigation experience to businesses and individuals for whom Big Law is either inaccessible or undesirable.

Marcella has been recognized as a New York Metro Rising Star by Super Lawyers and is a homeowner in the Bronx, where she has put down roots and remains actively invested in her community. She looks forward to advocating for young lawyers across New York State.