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Rachel

Alternate Public Defender

Los Angeles County

University at Buffalo
Pepperdine Law -- Juris Doctorate

I have been a public servant since I graduated law school in 2016, starting at Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers representing Parents fighting to get their children back against DCFS, then from 2017 to 2020 at the LA County Public Defender's Office where I provided indigent defense, and from 2020 to present at the Alternate Public Defender in LA where I currently work in STAR Court of the Juvenile Division in Inglewood. As a professional, I have always provided legal services to indigent clientele, either in dependency, criminal, or delinquency proceedings. I am a trial attorney completing 15 jury trials and adjudications, and providing legal advocacy at all stages of these legal proceedings.

Government & Public Sector

Law

Legal

English

Scholarship Recipient

Took Out Loans

Worked 20+ Hours in School

Student Athlete

Q1Career path

Public Service

Legal

Internships

0:54

"I was raised by a public defender. So I had already been indoctrinated at that point."

Q2Main responsibilities

Human Trafficking

Juvenile Justice

Legal Case Management

1:02

"I currently manage a caseload of about 40 to 60 juveniles who are currently facing criminal cases in Los Angeles County."

Q3Day in the life

Family Law

Legal Profession

Juvenile Justice

1:25

"Sometimes you get new cases in the morning that you didn't know about."

Q4Most important skills - role

Overcoming Challenges

Stress Management

Resilience

0:59

"You have to be able to lose a lot. You have to like be able to lay your ego down and keep fighting because we don't get a lot of wins."

Q5Favorite parts - role

Overcoming Challenges

Ethical Dilemmas

Workplace Challenges

0:53

"I love my clients so much. They're hysterical. They make me laugh every day."

Q6Biggest challenge - role

Self-Care

Work-Life Balance

Emotional Intelligence

0:49

"I get emotionally invested in my cases. This can obviously be a strength and a weakness."

Q7Favorite parts - industry

Communication

Overcoming Challenges

Problem-Solving

0:51

"It can be really challenging but it can also be super rewarding to be able to talk to kids, you know, instead of talking to an adult."

Q8Who thrives in industry

Adaptability

Determination

Resilience

1:23

"You got to be prepared. You got to be prompt. You got to be respectful. You have to be measured. You have to be even keeled."

Q9Wish known before - industry

Criminal Justice Reform

Social Injustice

Racial Bias in the Legal System

1:31

"Seeing how ugly it can be up close is really heartbreaking for me"

Q10Entry-level positions

Legal Clerkships

Volunteer Opportunities

Entry-Level Jobs

1:19

"I think that the public defender's office and the alternate public defender's office both offer volunteer worker positions."

Q11Significant lesson - career

Resilience

Hard Truths

Overcoming Challenges

1:33

"Sometimes your best isn't always gonna feel good. Like this job is not always gonna feel good."

Q12College ideas for success

Networking

Resilience

Career Exploration

0:54

"I got life experience. I studied abroad, I worked, I applied myself to my studies, but I still had fun."

Q13How identity impacted career

Gender in the Workplace

Public Defense

Law

0:56

"Being a woman and being a lawyer is so much different than it would have been 50 years ago..."