OUR TEAM

Chelsea joined the MLFA team as an appellate attorney in the criminal defense department because she is passionate about fighting injustice within the legal system. Her background in federal public defense and non-profit work firmly established her desire to champion human rights and be a voice for communities targeted by government authorities. 

Chelsea was born and raised in Oklahoma, where she went to college and law school. She graduated from The University of Oklahoma in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, where she served on the University’s student court. In 2013 she graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law, where she was involved in the Oklahoma Innocence Project and the mock trial team. In 2014, she earned her LL.M. degree in Criminal Defense Trial Advocacy from California Western School of Law. In 2015, she joined Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc. as a trial attorney and continued in that role until 2021, when she moved into the appellate unit.  While at Federal Defenders, Chelsea tried multiple federal felony jury trials and litigated before the Ninth Circuit. As a federal public defender, Chelsea witnessed the prosecution of victimized populations, which led to her later work as a staff attorney with Free to Thrive, a San Diego-based non-profit organization dedicated to fighting back against the criminalization of human trafficking survivors.

      Chelsea’s favorite place to be is at home with her family. Her best days start with coffee, yoga, and the Wordle puzzle.