What an Alternate Public Defender at Los Angeles County Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Legal Industry
Rachel, a Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender, wishes someone had prepared her for the "ugly" and deeply racist realities of the system, where the disproportionate incarceration of Black and brown people is shockingly pervasive. Despite the daily disheartening realities and the feeling of being "beat down," the commitment to fighting for change, even in small ways, motivates Rachel to continue.
Racial Bias in the Legal System, Criminal Justice Reform, Social Injustice, Emotional Resilience, Working in a High-Stress Environment
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Rachel Cala
Alternate Public Defender
Los Angeles County
University at Buffalo
Pepperdine Law -- Juris Doctorate
English
Government & Public Sector, Law
Legal
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. The Alternate Public Defender role can be emotionally challenging due to the inherent injustices within the system.
2. The system is deeply racist, with racial bias in the application of laws, particularly affecting Black and Brown communities.
3. It's crucial to maintain perseverance and commitment to positive change, even amidst daily challenges and setbacks, to make a difference in the system.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
People tried to tell me about this industry before I got into it, like my own father, who is a public defender. He asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?" I had fair warning, but I still decided to go for it.
Seeing how ugly it can be up close is truly heartbreaking for me. It's disheartening to look around my courtroom and see no people who look like me, only black and brown individuals. The shock of that has never faded.
The system is deeply racist, and the laws are applied unfairly and disproportionately. I'm sure this varies by city, but in Los Angeles, black and brown people are incarcerated at the highest rates. That was truly shocking.
I knew it was going to be like that, but seeing it every day can be disheartening. You get a little jaded and beat down, but as I said, you just have to keep trying to do your part and make changes, even in small ways, every day. Then, you come back tomorrow and keep going.
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