Biography
Chelsea began her career in criminal justice reform in 2011, working for a California nonprofit dedicated to abolishing the death penalty. In that role, she organized and trained people directly impacted by the criminal legal system—including crime victims, law enforcement, and wrongfully convicted individuals—to serve as advocates and spokespeople for a statewide ballot initiative.
Motivated to move into direct representation, Chelsea attended UC Berkeley School of Law with the goal of becoming a public defender and improving outcomes for indigent defendants. During law school, she interned with multiple public defender offices, the Southern Center for Human Rights, and the Death Penalty Clinic.
After graduating, she spent eight years as a trial attorney at the Solano County Public Defender’s Office. She zealously represented clients facing charges ranging from misdemeanors to serious felonies, pursuing aggressive pre-trial litigation, filing writs and appeals, and taking cases to jury trial. Beyond her casework, Chelsea supervised legal interns, helped coordinate office trainings, and served on the racial justice committee.
