Lori J. Gooch is an accomplished criminal defense attorney, legal leader, and a recognized advocate for individuals with mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities within the criminal legal system. With more than two decades of courtroom experience, she has devoted her career to advancing justice through skilled advocacy, leadership, and systemic reform.

Mrs. Gooch currently serves as the Chief of the Mental Health Division at the Harris County Public Defender's Office in Houston, Texas. In this leadership role, she supervises felony and misdemeanor attorneys while representing clients with serious mental illness and intellectual disabilities charged with felony offenses. She advocates for individuals found incompetent to stand trial who face civil commitment proceedings.t. In addition to her litigation practice, she collaborates with justice system partners to improve outcomes for individuals with behavioral health needs, including helping develop the Felony Mental Health Algorithm used within Harris County.

Before joining the Public Defender's Office, Ms. Gooch founded The Gooch Firm, LLC, where she represented clients in felony and juvenile criminal matters, with a particular focus on cases involving mental health and mitigation. Earlier in her career, she served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, where she first-chaired more than fifty jury trials, managed high-volume criminal dockets, and trained new prosecutors in trial advocacy.

Ms. Gooch earned her Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law. She also holds dual undergraduate degrees—a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Spelman College through the Atlanta University Center Dual Degree Engineering Program.

A respected educator and speaker, Ms. Gooch has presented at numerous legal education programs and conferences on criminal defense, mental health, and indigent defense. She has served as Course Director of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association's Floyd Jennings Mental Health Symposium since 2023 and has spoken for law schools, statewide legal organizations, and public defender training programs.

Licensed to practice law in Texas since 2001, Ms. Gooch is recognized for her strategic litigation, compassionate advocacy, and commitment to mentoring the next generation of attorneys. Her career reflects an unwavering dedication to protecting the constitutional rights of vulnerable individuals while promoting meaningful reform within the criminal justice system.