O'Donnell, Kathleen M.

I grew up in and around Southern California. From surfing on the beaches of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange Counties, to skiing and biking in the nearby mountains, I have always considered myself the ultimate Californian. My father was an immigrant farm laborer who proudly served in the US Air Force, then attended UC Berkeley before beginning his career as a traffic engineer. My mother emigrated from England the year before I was born and was a typical homemaker of the 1960’s and 1970’s until she entered the workforce through the Federal Government where she excelled, and eventually went to work on high level projects like the stealth bomber.

Graduating from Servite High School in 1977, I spent several years working in traditional “blue-collar” jobs before going to college in 1997 to get advanced technical training. While at Orange Coast College I met Dr Tom Garrison who inspired me to focus on academics and I eventually graduated with honors and then transferred to UC Berkeley, my father’s alma mater.

While at Cal, I was able to get involved in several student groups. I had the most fun with the Rally Committee (GO BEARS!), but it was while involved with a Fellowship in Public Policy that I began a path towards my current career. Because of that Fellowship, I was recruited to a top Public Policy Program at the University of Minnesota. As a part of that curriculum I became a Certified Court Appointed Neutral (AKA a Mediator), and then began work in the Hennepin County Court System on appointed cases, which is where I met the judge who encouraged me to get a law degree.

I attended The Penn St. Dickinson School of Law. While there I took part in student leadership and received two different, funded fellowships, that eventually allowed me to expand my public service work to the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, which lead to tenures at both the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. All three of these offices gave me essential skills and a foundation in criminal law that I am extremely grateful to utilize today.