ABOUT ILYA

About The Law Office Of Ilya E. Lerma LLC

Experienced attorney Ilya E. Lerma represents plaintiffs in complex personal injury cases in Greater Phoenix and throughout Arizona, including:

• Those who sustain serious injuries in drunk driving accidents when the driver has been over-served alcohol in licensed liquor establishments (such as bars and restaurants) in violation of the law

• Persons suffering catastrophic injuries in collisions between commercial carriers and conventionally sized cars and trucks

• Victims of accidents caused by auto defects and malfunctioning consumer products

• Families whose elderly loved ones have been injured and exploited by physical, verbal, and financial abuse or neglect in nursing homes

• Insurance policyholders whose company has wrongfully denied claims or failed to live up to their obligations under their policy for life, disability, or casualty insurance, and the company has committed bad faith

• Victims harmed through professional negligence, such as financial and insurance producers, or real estate agents who breached fiduciary obligations, breached a contract, or committed other acts of negligence or fraud

The Law Office of Ilya E. Lerma LLC offers free initial consultations. Home and hospital visits can be arranged for those who are too injured to travel. The contingency fee basis for Ms. Lerma's legal services means that no attorney fees are owed unless your case is won. Call today. We welcome email messages and reply to them promptly.

Bar Admissions

• Arizona, 1999

• U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1999

Education

• The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Tucson, Arizona

  • J.D. - 1998

• Northern Arizona University

  • B.A. cum laude - 1995

  • Major: Philosophy

Associations

• President, Arizona Association for Justice

Honors and Awards

• Arizona Trial Lawyer-Volunteer Lawyer of the Year, 2014

• Featured Speaker Arizona Association for Justice, Trial Advocacy Conference, 2014

• Arizona Latina Women in Business- featured panelist 2012

• Clean Technologies, "Fresh-Faces" Presenter and Award Recipient (non-legal), 2010

Past Employment Positions

• Tidmore & Lerma, LLC 2002-2011

• Tidmore Law Offices 1999-2002

• Pima County Public Defender 38(e) Felony Division, 1998

• Federal Public Defender (research volunteer), 1998

Nationally Renowned Speaker

• National Trial Lawyers Association; Courtroom Playbook:  Trial Structure for your next Case, 2022 

• Florida of Justice 2022, TBI Med School: Preparing the Brain Injured client for Testimony, 2022

• Texas Trial Lawyers Association - Mind, Body, Trial: Advanced Witness Preparation, 2022

• Arizona Association for Justice Trial Advocacy Conference Ordinary Cases and Extraordinary Results, 2021; Into the Abyss: Exposing Defense Fallacies at Trial, 2022

• Dallas Trial Lawyers Association and El Paso County Trial Lawyers Association, Advanced Witness Preparation, 2022

• New Jersey Association for Justice, Advanced Witness Preparation, 2022

• Connectionology 2022, Advanced Witness Preparation, 2022; Structuring your Traumatic Brain Damage Case, 2022

• Society of Women Trial Lawyers, Advanced Witness Preparation, 2022; Structuring Your Traumatic Brain Damage Case 2022; The Heart of Law (podcast) 2021

• Celesq AttorneysEd Center 2021, Weaponizing Lead Witnesses for Killer Testimony

• Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Trial Advocacy Program, Skills and Trial Practice 2021

• "Weaponizing Lead Witnesses for Killer Testimony", 2021 - LegalEdcenter/Thomson Reuters

• Arizona State University Trial Advocacy Presenter 2019, 2020

• Litigating Brain Injuries against Huge Insurance Companies (LST-I AM the LAW podcast, 2020)

• Trial Structure Method, Connectionology, 2020

• “Identifying and Understanding TBI” Trial Structure Webcast 2020

• TBI Med Legal, Brain Injury Association of California 2019

• “Making Time and Putting Yourself First” - Dominate Law Podcast, 2019

• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles Women’s Trial Skills Conference, 2019

• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, 2019

• New Jersey Association for Justice, 2019

• Western States Association for Justice, 2019

• Alliance of Women Trial Lawyers, Trial Skills Annual Conference, 2019

• "Auto Injury Claims” National Business Institute, 2019

• “Identifying Bad Faith Conduct in Auto Accident Claims” National Business Institute, 2019

• “Business Risk & Liability” (webcast) National Business Institute, 2018

• American Association for Justice - Weekend with the Stars, 2018

• State Bar of Arizona Trial College, Opening Statement-presenter, 2018

• Arizona Trial Lawyers Association and Arizona Association for Justice Trial Advocacy Conference, 2016

Ancillary Businesses

• GREENFREAK, LLC 2008-2016 (plastics recycling), CEO

Languages

• Spanish

• English