I have over 35 years of experience as a defense attorney. For 19 of those years I served in the Public Defender’s Office, and 16 years as a private criminal defense attorney. I have tried over 60 cases in state, federal and juvenile court, including eight murder trials to verdict.

For six years I co-managed 52 attorneys in the felony trial unit under Jeff Adachi’s leadership and implemented the office’s first system for tracking and balancing caseloads. I mentored dozens of young attorneys and interns, co-chaired the Racial Justice Committee, and for the last seven years I have worked on developing policies for police department reform.

In addition, while at the Public Defenders’ Office, I started the first Bail Unit, and the office’s first Homicide Unit. Along with my trial work and supervision of felony attorneys, I also worked in the Research & Writing Unit. I managed the Collaborative & Specialty Courts Unit during the first 16 months of the pandemic. I put together the office’s first Preliminary Hearing training manual, put on numerous trial skills trainings and developed two seminars on Client-Centered Representation from a Racial Justice perspective. I forged collaborative working relationships with public defenders in other Bay Area counties and started Public Defenders for Racial Justice with Assistant Public Defender Jane Brown of Alameda County. In 2021, Jane and I conducted statewide (Zoom) trainings on AB 2542, the Racial Justice Act. I also served on the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Criminal Justice Task Force.

As a result of this trial, management, mentoring and policy experience, I have the trust and credibility to shift the office culture back to a focus on client-centered representation and to develop a diverse and experienced management staff that is capable of the leadership and mentorship tasks required of them.