Editor’s note: This interview was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After being elected to take over as Stoel Rives’ managing partner last May, Melissa Jones assumed the position at the beginning of this year. From her seat in Sacramento, California, the trial lawyer now guides a firm that started in Portland, Oregon, but has since expanded its footprint and grown beyond $200 million in annual revenue. In this interview, she speaks about outside interest in the Pacific Northwest, the generation gap in law firms and her firm’s commitment to diversity.