A Seattle native, Carnissa Lucas-Smith returned to her hometown and became a public defender after graduating New York University School of Law in 2020. She spent several years defending families involved in the child welfare system and clients charged with misdemeanor crimes before joining PDA.
Carnissa has always practiced client-centered representation. As a public defender, she saw first-hand the overly punitive nature of the criminal legal and child welfare systems. She believes that a better approach centers around individual client needs and addressing root causes.
Carnissa earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California in 2015.