Ricardo García

Ricardo García serves as an Adjunct Professor at Southwestern Law School since 2023 while concurrently holding the position of Los Angeles County Public Defender—the largest public defender agency in the United States and the first Latinx individual to lead this institution in county history.

His educational background includes:

• Bachelor of Arts in Politics, University of California, Santa Cruz
• Juris Doctor, University of California, Berkeley School of Law (1995)

Professor García specializes in criminal defense and systemic justice reform with particular focus on Black and Brown communities. His work bridges courtroom practice with institutional transformation, emphasizing holistic client representation and community-centered legal strategies. He has handled landmark cases including California's longest death penalty trial and pioneered digital modernization of public defense systems.

His distinguished recognition includes:

• Trial Lawyer of the Year (Criminal Defense Association of San Diego)
• Hispanic Heritage Award (Supervisor Hilda Solis)
• Leadership Award (Los Angeles County Hispanic Managers Association)

As Public Defender, García spearheaded the department's first Strategic Initiative implementing comprehensive restructuring and launched the historic digitization of 160 million records—revolutionizing indigent defense through fully mobile digital representation. He teaches Holistic Advocacy at Southwestern, integrating his frontline experience with academic instruction to train future public defenders in community-responsive legal practice.