Arizona attorney enjoys the ‘give and take’ of litigating
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Arizona attorney enjoys the ‘give and take’ of litigating
By Brian Cox
Jackson Hendrix credits his wife, Stephanie, for giving him the decisive nudge to pursue a law degree.
“Just do it,” she told him when they were still dating. “If you’re going to do it, you should do it now.”
He’d been knocking around the idea of a career in law for a while after he developed an interest in political science at community college in Mesa, Ariz., but he hadn’t settled on a course of action until Stephanie tipped the scales by suggesting that they go somewhere they could both commit to school full-time.
“Let’s just go all in and knock it out and it’ll be fun,” Hendrix sums up their reasoning. “It was a great decision.”
The couple charted a multi-year path that would take them from Arizona to Virginia, with the goal of finishing college degrees side by side. They lived in Charlottesville, Va., for a year to establish residency, then enrolled at James Madison University. There, Hendrix studied political science and earned the Dr. Henry A. Myers Memorial Scholarship for maintaining the highest GPA among senior political science majors.
Their years in Virginia marked the beginnings of Hendrix’s family and career. He and Stephanie married while still at James Madison. Their first child was born shortly before Hendrix graduated. He started law school at George Washington University in D.C. with a 6-month-old daughter.
“I just had one thing to concentrate on, and I took it very seriously,” Hendrix says. “I was ready for it. I felt like I had gotten to where I wanted to be, so I was thrilled to get into it and get after it.”
Though he wasn’t clear at the time what kind of law he wanted to practice, he understood that lawyers are a critical element in the transactions of daily life – from buying and selling a home, to buying or selling a business.
“I saw law as a fundamental aspect of daily life in America, and I was interested in playing a part in that,” he says.
Though he now practices in Phoenix, Hendrix says his path to the law weaves through multiple states. Born in Los Angeles, he spent most of his childhood in Florida. Midway through high school, the family moved to Phoenix where his parents had grown up. Hendrix found his footing in the new environment largely through football, which he hoped to play in college before a serious injury changed those plans. After high school, he worked construction and landscaping jobs before returning to college with renewed purpose.
His burgeoning interest in law shaped his course schedule – and eventually his career.
As he worked toward his law degree at George Washington, Hendrix’s family continued to grow. His second daughter was born in 2017, the day of his administrative law final, and his wife was pregnant with their third child when he graduated.
After earning his J.D. in 2021, Hendrix and Stephanie decided to return to Phoenix to be closer to family. He secured a position with a small business law firm in Scottsdale, where he had been working through law school. The experience was formative.
An associate at Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A. in Phoenix, Jackson focuses his practice on civil and commercial litigation, real estate, and business law.
“They were giving me almost free reign from the very beginning, and I got some tremendous experience by doing that,” he says. “I valued the trust they put in me.”
Hendrix spent those early years working in real estate property and contract disputes, handling depositions and building direct relationships with clients.
One of his first cases at the firm stretched over several years. Hendrix became lead counsel on the matter in its final phase and saw it through a four-day bench trial.
“That was the most fun I’d had to that point in my career,” he says. “Being able to captain that and create the game plan – it was a fantastic experience. It was also an intense period, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
By the time an opportunity opened at Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A. in late 2024, Hendrix was ready for the next chapter. He had worked with several of the firm’s attorneys before and respected their approach. The decision to leave his first firm wasn’t easy, but the transition felt right.
The culture at Burch & Cracchiolo was a major draw.
“It is staffed with competent, professional people at all levels, and that lends itself to a sort of relaxed environment because everyone is handling what needs to be handled,” Hendrix says. “Nobody has their hair on fire.”
Hendrix describes a culture of trust and professionalism, where lawyers are encouraged to chart their own path while contributing to the firm’s deep bench of Arizona legal knowledge.
“You couldn’t pick a better firm to handle Arizona issues,” he says. “They’ve been around a long time. There are a lot of people who have been with the firm for many years and that leads to deep, trusting relationships.”
Founded 55 years ago, the firm’s lawyers are highly regarded and recognized leaders in the areas of business & corporate law, commercial litigation, construction, bankruptcy & reorganization, default servicing, family law, personal injury litigation, labor & employment, real estate, and taxation.
Hendrix appreciates the firm’s investment in his growth.
“Everybody is interested in developing my skills as a practitioner,” he says. “People are eager to connect me with new clients or new matters they think might be a good fit for me.”
Hendrix and Stephanie recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary. They now have four children– Louella, Edith, Huxley, and Herschel– and are active members of their church, Desert View Bible Church, where Hendrix volunteers with kids.
The family spends time hiking and camping throughout Arizona. Hendrix also enjoys mountain biking in the desert and working on the landscaping at their new home.
While Hendrix doesn’t claim a singular practice focus right now, he’s drawn to civil litigation for the variety and the problem-solving it demands.
“I’ve always been sort of a generalist, and I like knowing a little about a lot of things,” he says. “I like litigating. I like the give and take. It’s very dynamic.”
What unifies his approach is a focus on clients– understanding what they’re going through and guiding them toward a resolution.
“When someone is coming to you, they’re usually coming to you with something close to the most important issue in their lives,” he says. “These are stressful situations for people, so I appreciate that people are trusting me to take on the role of resolving it. I’m very cognizant of that, and I do my best to foster a sense of trust that I’m going to be there for them.”
