A successful federal public defender, Alex McDonald provides and insider's take on the issues plaguing the United States' justice system and suggests a powerful solution in which we can all make a difference. Alex McDonald is a public defender and trial attorney with Federal Defenders of San Diego,
Inc., where she defends the rights and dignity of indigent clients within the federal legal system.
Prior to her work within the federal system, she worked as a deputy public defender for the
County of San Diego, primarily serving clients in the South Bay region. In her role as a deputy
public defender she led a collaborative mental health program that provided wrap-around social
services for high-risk individuals within the legal system. Ms. McDonald has also contributed to
the work of the California Innocence Project as a clinical student, and a homeless advocacy non-profit called Think Dignity. Aside her from her work seeking fairness in the justice system, she dedicates her time to community outreach, giving presentations on the Fourth Amendment to the Citizens Advisory Board on Police/Community Relations and serving as a mock trial coach for Bonita Vista High School. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx