ABOUT FMC

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Jerra L. Juliano, LCSW, is the founder and Lead Mitigation Specialist of Fidelis Mitigation Consulting, a New York-based forensic social work and defense advocacy practice serving criminal defense attorneys and their clients throughout Long Island, New York City, and New York State.

A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Jerra earned her Master of Social Work from New York University’s Silver School of Social Work and completed New York State’s requirements for clinical licensure. Her professional background combines extensive clinical training with specialized experience in forensic social work, criminal defense mitigation, psychosocial assessment, treatment planning, and advocacy.

Jerra leads a team of Licensed Clinical Social Workers who specialize in mitigation investigation and defense advocacy. A defining feature of Fidelis is its collaborative approach to every case. Jerra remains directly involved in the investigation, clinical formulation, mitigation strategy, and review of each matter accepted by the firm. Whether she serves as the primary mitigation specialist or works collaboratively with another LCSW consultant, each case benefits from the perspective and expertise of two licensed clinical social workers, providing an additional level of clinical review, case consultation, and quality assurance.

Jerra conducts comprehensive biopsychosocial and mitigation investigations designed to identify the developmental, psychological, familial, social, environmental, and systemic factors relevant to an individual’s involvement in the criminal legal system. She collaborates closely with defense counsel, conducts client and collateral interviews, analyzes clinical and historical records, identifies treatment and rehabilitative resources, and prepares trauma-informed mitigation reports that provide a comprehensive and clinically grounded understanding of the individual beyond the presenting criminal charges.

Her foundation in forensic social work began with The Legal Aid Society in Queens, New York, where she gained direct experience working at the intersection of social work and criminal defense. Her broader professional experience includes mental health and substance use treatment, psychosocial assessment, discharge planning, case management, clinical supervision, and advocacy across institutional and community-based settings, including hospitals, schools, correctional settings, and mental health programs.

Jerra is also an ordained Interfaith Minister. She studied at The New Seminary and was ordained in 2004 by The Interfaith Temple at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City. Her longstanding commitment to social justice and advocacy continues to inform her professional philosophy and approach to forensic social work.

Jerra’s practice is grounded in the principle that effective mitigation requires more than identifying difficult circumstances in a client’s history. It requires a careful clinical investigation of how developmental experiences, trauma, mental health, family systems, environmental influences, and other psychosocial factors intersect with behavior, while also identifying strengths, protective factors, treatment needs, and capacity for rehabilitation.

Through Fidelis, Jerra combines clinical expertise with rigorous investigation and collaborative defense advocacy to ensure that attorneys, prosecutors, and courts are provided with a comprehensive and evidence-informed understanding of the individual behind the criminal charge.