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Personal Profile of Founding Attorney

Melanie J. Rhodes graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 1983 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Ms. Rhodes received her Juris Doctorate in August 2000 from the University of New Mexico School of Law. At graduation Ms. Rhodes received the Atkinson Kelsey Award of Excellence in Family Law in recognition of her drafting and lobbying the first statute in New Mexico to require the domestic relations courts to consider domestic violence prior to awarding custody of a child.

Upon passing the bar, Ms. Rhodes became an associate attorney with her former firm until 2006, when she was made a partner of her former firm. She has primarily focused in the area of family law for the past seventeen years and has received recognition as a Board Certified Family Law Specialist in 2015 from the New Mexico Supreme Court. Ms. Rhodes is taking advantage of the opportunities presenting themselves at this time to establish her own law firm, And Justice Legal.

Legal Services

And Justice Legal will represent clients experiencing divorce, custody disputes, child support issues, adoptions, grandparent visitation, guardianship cases, prenuptial agreements, paternity, and child protective services issues.

In addition, And Justice Legal will specialize in domestic violence issues. The founding attorney has extensive experience in representing clients in domestic violence courts in relation to orders of protection and in criminal court regarding misdemeanor assault and battery on a household member charges. Also, Ms. Rhodes has spoken in many symposiums in both the states of New Mexico and Washington regarding the effect of domestic violence.

There are more than 8,000 adults that have sought assistance from domestic violence shelters in New Mexico each year, with 5,352 orders of protection issued each year. 43% of domestic violence incidents reported to law enforcement have involved injuries. 1:3 women in New Mexico experience domestic violence. Domestic violence is rampant in New Mexico.

In addition, And Justice Legal will represent clients with regard to misdemeanor criminal charges, primarily related to domestic violence, DWI, DUI, telephone harassment, moving violations, such as speeding, and public disturbance charges. There are some 12,000 criminal domestic violence cases statewide in New Mexico filed each year with 5,137 being filed in Bernalillo County alone in 2016. In addition, in 2016 there were 11,447 misdemeanor DWI cases in Bernalillo Metropolitan Court. DWI cases remain a serious concern in New Mexico.

Melanie Rhodes is a welcome and needed addition to the realm of Albuquerque family law.