Kerri Andersen
2022-2023 | Los Angeles County - Alternate Public Defender's Office
KERRI ANDERSEN is an advocate and leader adept at building meaningful relationships and implementing innovative solutions. Kerri’s background includes leading the L.A. office of the only nonprofit in the country federally appointed to provide immigrant children with best interest advocacy; representing foster children as an L.A. County children’s attorney; providing counsel, project management and consulting to local and international nonprofits; teaching elementary school and most recently creating Bright Spot where she champions the importance of Intentional Joy through coaching and workshops. Kerri earned her B.A. in Law & Society at UCSB, M.Ed. at UNLV, and J.D. at Quinnipiac Law.
Project
California operates the second-largest prison system in the United States. Los Angeles County is the largest contributor to this system, and while incarceration has declined, men and women of color continued to be incarcerated at higher rates than white men and women. Working with the Alternate Public Defender’s Office, a FUSE Executive Fellow will build out recommendations and implement a global, collaborative approach to resentencing indigent defense clients, to assist in remedying the decades-long over-incarceration in the state.