About Us

Attorney Jan Ronis established the Law Offices of Ronis & Ronis with his father, John George Ronis, after he was admitted to practice law in 1972. Approximately 38 years later, Jan and John Ronis are still practicing together in California. Jan marked his 30th anniversary as a Certified Specialist in criminal law in 2007.

A serious criminal law team that handles serious crimes

Ronis & Ronis’ clients also benefit from its association with The Law Offices of Gretchen von Helms and The Law Offices of Jason A. Ronis. Each office is located at 105 West F Street, close to the state and federal courthouses in San Diego. Like Ronis & Ronis, The Law Offices of Gretchen von Helms and The Law Offices of Jason A. Ronis provide knowledgeable, high-caliber legal representation to clients charged with serious crimes.

Experienced in federal and California law

The collective team at Ronis & Ronis has handled almost every type of criminal case imaginable. Gretchen von Helms and Jan Ronis are both federal practitioners and have defended people charged under federal law in several states. With Jason Ronis, they also represent clients in the federal and superior courts for the state of California.

Superior criminal defense representation

The attorneys at Ronis & Ronis are selective about the cases they take. This ensures that the attorneys are completely devoted to producing successful courtroom resolutions while maintaining the highest standards of ethical integrity. When it seems like only the best criminal defense attorney stands a chance at winning a case, legal professionals refer cases to Ronis & Ronis.

Jan Ronis

First admitted to practice law in 1972, attorney Jan Ronis has 38 years experience handling criminal defense matters. He has an extensive national practice in a number of federal district courts in addition to his practice in California. Over the course of his legal career, he has taken over 300 cases to jury trials. Mr. Ronis is one of the most well known and highly respected lawyers in the criminal defense community. He has handled large and serious criminal cases across the nation. In 1977, the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization certified Jan Ronis as a specialist in criminal law.

He was recently honored at the California State Bar Convention for 30 years of specialization. He is also a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review AV Rated Attorney*--the highest recognition possible for a lawyer to receive from his or her peers. In addition to his work as an attorney, Jan Ronis has discussed criminal cases as a featured guest commentator on CNN, Court TV, ABC, and Fox News Network including appearances on Bill O'Reilly and Larry King Live.

Education

J.D, California Western School of Law, 1971
B.A., University of San Diego, 1968

Admittance

California State Bar, 1972
California Board of Legal Specialization, 1977
Federal District Courts in 11 states and Puerto Rico

Memberships

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
California Bar Association
South Bay Bar Association, former president
San Diego County Bar Association, former vice president and member of the board of directors

Gretchen Von Helms

Gretchen von Helms is a Harvard educated lawyer who has practiced law for approximately 20 years. Since opening The Law Offices of Gretchen von Helms in 1996, she has handled numerous serious criminal cases, defending the accused. She is an experienced state and federal trial lawyer.

The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization has certified Gretchen von Helms as a specialist in criminal law. Gretchen von Helms is a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review AV Rated Attorney*, the highest peer recognition rating possible for an attorney. In 1998, she was selected as one of the top 20 lawyers under the age of 40 in California. She has authored many articles and is a lecturer on criminal defense issues. She has served as an instructor at San Diego State University and is Of Counsel for Silva, Chavez, Sepulveda & Castenada, a law firm located in Tijuana, Mexico and speaks Spanish. She is a legal analyst for local television shows and Court T.V., where she provides commentary on high profile criminal cases. In March 2009, she was featured in the San Diego County Bar Association Bar Report as a lawyer giving back to the community. Ms. von Helms is a highly respected litigator within the criminal justice community and has represented clients in federal cases in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Education

J.D., Harvard University, cum laude, 1990
M.P.P., Kennedy School of Government, cum laude, 1990
B.A., University of Southern California, summa cum laude, 1986
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Phi Kappa Phi

Admittance

California State Bar, 1991
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, 1992
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1992
U.S. Supreme Court, 1996

Memberships

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
California Association of Criminal Justice Lawyers
California Bar Association
American Bar Association

Jason Ronis

Mr. Ronis practices criminal defense primarily in San Diego and has successfully represented clients in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. He takes pride in his commitment to providing the highest level of criminal defense to all his clients.

Education

J.D., The University of San Diego School of Law, 2003
B.A. Anthropology, The University of California Santa Barbara, 1999

Admittance

California State Bar, 2003

Memberships

California Bar Association
American Bar Association