Rachel Rossi

Former Assistant Federal Public Defender, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Rachel Rossi is a seasoned criminal defense litigator and criminal justice policy expert.  She spent her early career as a public defender in Los Angeles’ county and federal courts, and  currently serves of counsel with the Cohen Williams, LLP, law firm in Los Angeles.  Most recently, Rachel was the first former public defender to run for District Attorney in Los Angeles County, the largest county in the country, where she received almost half a million votes.

As a public defender, Rachel defended Angelenos in the trenches in the Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles, both with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office and the Alternate Public Defender’s Office.  She then defended the people of Los Angeles as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.  Rachel conducted vigorous litigation in these roles, including drafting and arguing motions and conducting numerous jury trials.  Rachel has handled a wide range of cases, from charges of sleeping on the sidewalk against our houseless neighbors, to immigration related offenses, insider trading, fraud, narcotics and gun trafficking, and complex litigation including RICO conspiracy charges.  Working in both state and Federal courts, Rachel gained comprehensive expertise on L.A.’s layers of criminal justice systems, including the many local and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutorial agencies that intersect in Los Angeles County.

Rachel then worked as Counsel to the Democratic Whip, Senator Richard J. Durbin, on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.  In that role, she was a key part of the effort to pass the First Step Act, the largest major federal criminal justice reform bill signed into law, which enacted comprehensive sentencing and prison reforms.  She also worked on multiple nomination hearings, including for Supreme Court and Department of Justice nominees, and carried a criminal justice and cyber security portfolio.

Rachel was then recruited to the House side where she served as Counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, assigned to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.  Rachel worked with the Democratic Majority on efforts to develop the next steps in criminal justice reform nationally.  She worked with Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler and Judiciary Crime Sub-Committee Chair Rep. Karen Bass on drafting legislation and holding Congressional hearings on criminal justice issues, including on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, the need for criminal justice reform, issues faced by women in the criminal justice system, reducing firearm violence, combatting hate crimes, and a Los Angeles field hearing on California’s criminal justice