May 5, 2026
L.A. Public Defender Joins Assemblymember Ash Kalra at State Capitol to Back ACR 159
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Latest News
Join the Nation’s first and finest indigent criminal defense agency as a Deputy Public Defender! We are looking for attorneys who are admitted with the California Bar Association to practice law in all courts in California to join our team of Public Defenders. Click the link in our bio to apply today! 🔗
The Los Angeles County SYTF Collaborative Court team welcomed attorneys from seven Southern California counties for a two-day symposium on Less Restrictive Placements (LRPs) and the role of community partnerships in youth courts. Supported by an OYCR grant, the team is sharing its collaborative, trauma-informed approach with prosecutors and defense attorneys across the state. Hosted by the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, the event featured a resource fair with 31 LRP and community-based organization partners, a dinner attended by more than 200 guests, and tours of four placement sites. The symposium closed with a healing circle. Above all, the team celebrated the young people whose voices and achievements showed the promise of community-based support.
Join us for an upcoming blood drive in partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles—an opportunity to give back and support lifesaving care for patients across Los Angeles County.
The drive will take place on Thursday, November 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the San Fernando office (1000 First St. San Fernando, CA 91340 in the Civic Center Parking Lot). Sign up for a time slot through the link in our bio🔗
Congratulations to our Training Director, La Mer Kyle, on becoming President of the National Association for Public Defense (@thenapd)! La Mer’s leadership reflects the innovation shaping the future of indigent defense. We’re proud to see Los Angeles County helping lead that vision on the national stage, advancing a model of public defense that meets the broader needs of the communities we serve.
“The purpose of the study was for RAND to tell us what those drivers of workload are, how we’re allocating our resources, and make suggestions as to how to move forward and ease the workload and adequately distribute it in a way that makes sense.”
Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo D. García and Assistant Public Defender Traci Blackburn joined @publicdefenselesspodcast host Hunter Parnell to discuss the study’s findings and explore how its insights can help strengthen advocacy for increased funding and resources for the Public Defender’s Office.
Happy National Paralegal Day! Today, we celebrate the paralegals across our office who support the people we serve, our attorneys, and the entire public defense team.
Your work has an impact far beyond the courtroom. Your experience, organization, and care help keep cases moving and our clients’ futures on track. Thank you for all you do. We’re grateful for you today and every day!
The California Independent Commission on Public Defense held its first meeting in October, with Los Angeles County Public Defender @rdg_lapubdef and other Chief Defenders and representatives across the state serving as commissioners. The goal? To build a roadmap for sustainable funding and stronger public defense statewide so everyone has access to quality legal representation.
Your voice matters! 📢 Crucial input is being gathered from residents across Los Angeles County for the upcoming “Know Your Rights” campaign. Please take 5 minutes to complete the survey. Responses will directly shape the public education strategy for the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments, and how to safely navigate the criminal legal system. Learn Your Rights, Protect Your Future. Take the survey at the link in our bio. 🔗
