My name is Emma Arnold, and I recently graduated from National University with a master’s degree in criminal justice leadership. My passion is indigent public defense, and I have been working for the Humboldt County Public Defender’s office in Administration Support roles for nine years. Prior to that, I worked with at risk populations including the elderly and youth in the foster care system advocating for adequate healthcare within our rural community as well as for access to reliable mental health services and treatment for children and parents alike. I graduated with a bachelor’s in political science in 2014 with the goal of going pre-law and lobbying for necessary resources and services in the State of California; however, life has a funny way of changing direction and for the last ten years I have focused on raising my five children and supporting my husband while he battled and beat testicular cancer. As life changes directions, so too do goals and aspirations and mine have evolved into a love for helping the most underserved and at-risk populations within our country as a public defender.

Public defenders are hard to attract because this type of work is incredibly taxing and can cause emotional alienation from others. To carry a caseload of hundreds with limited funding or access to updated technology or resources can prove beyond challenging and most individuals pursuing a juris doctorate would rather enter the private sector with better pay and less baggage. While this is often the case, I cannot imagine a more fulfilling opportunity to make a necessary and effective change in the world that I live in nor can I imagine a more exciting field of law to study than criminal law. In addition to working for the Humboldt County Public Defender’s Office, I have worked part-time as a paralegal for the Yurok Tribe’s Office of the Tribal Prosecutor. Having an alternative prospective, both in prosecution and defense gives me a special appreciation for our legal systems in this country and the distinction between federal and state jurisdiction. Additionally, the diversity of both jobs has afforded me the particular pleasure of participating in legislative measures in California related to Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons.

I am pleased to announce that I have been accepted into the Juris Doctorate program at ALU and am set to begin this vigorous four year adventure on August! To that end, JD programs are incredibly expensive and financial aid is limited for both Masters and Doctoral students. As a mom of five and one that is already working two jobs, I would appreciate any assistance towards the cost of books and supplemental materials necessary to be successful in this program without creating additional hardships for my family; especially after just recovering from extensive expenses incurred during Nick's cancer treatments.

Thank you for all of the love and encouragement!