Tony Cheng

Tony Cheng is a Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley and an attorney in private practice specializing in juvenile delinquency and criminal appeals. He previously served as Director of the Youth Defender Clinic (YDC) at the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), which he joined in 2018. With over 20 years of experience as a public defender, he has litigated cases across multiple courts including the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, federal district courts, and county superior courts. He has tried nearly 40 criminal jury trials and possesses extensive juvenile defense expertise.

Education:

• J.D., UC Davis School of Law (1998)
• A.B., UC Berkeley (1993)

Research Focus: Cheng specializes in criminal justice reform with emphasis on systemic inequities. His work spans Criminal Law theory, Juvenile Justice procedural frameworks, and Racial & Social Justice advocacy, particularly through clinical education and defense litigation.

Professional Leadership: He serves on the Board of Directors of the Pacific Juvenile Defender Center (PJDC) and is a National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC)-certified trainer. Cheng has developed educational materials for juvenile defense and presented at national forums including the NJDC Leadership Summit and Practising Law Institute.