About
About Our Firm
Jay R. STRAUSS, attorney
Legal Experience
Jay received a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Golden Gate University School of Law from which he graduated “With Highest Honors,” 2nd in class of over 200.
He practiced law in San Francisco before moving across the Bay to Lafayette. After a stint in business, he moved his practice to Marin County before finally settling in Nevada County. In all, he has been a ‘name partner’ in 5 Bay Area law firms and practiced throughout Northern California. His practice is now mostly local, although he guest-lectures on the art of negotiation at Washington University Law School in St. Louis.
Business Experience
In the late 90s, Jay co-founded a dot-com which eventually merged into a publicly traded ‘PEO,’ Team America Inc. (NASDAQ: TMAM), based in Ohio. Jay was the Executive Vice-President of Law and Human Resources in that HR company which had over 15,000 ‘co-employees’ nation-wide.
Civic Leader
In Nevada County, Jay is presently on the Board and Executive Committee of the Greater Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce (and in-coming Chairperson for 2025), a board member of the Grass Valley Downtown Association, an appointed member of the Nevada County Transportation Commission and on the Board of the Nevada County Economic Resource Council.
In Lafayette, CA, Jay was President of the Chamber of Commerce, a Planning Commissioner, a City Councilman, and eventually Mayor (1999-2000). In Novato, CA, Jay was on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce, a 10-year Planning Commissioner, the Board and Executive Committee of the Marin Economic Forum, and several other civic boards and panels.
Private Life
Jay is married to Stephanie Bennett-Strauss M.D., a behavioral and developmental pediatrician, and has 2 children and 2 grandchildren, all above average. He enjoys politics, literature, history, exercise, golf, poker, and his dog.