Jennifer Uyeda

JENNIFER UYEDA is the Chief of Training at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California, responsible for training the trial, investigator, and paralegal units, as well as the CJA Trial Panel. Collaborating with her team, she strives to create inclusive, diverse, informative, thoughtful, and innovative training programs for trial lawyers, assistants, paralegals, social workers, and investigators. Some of those programs include:  a two-week intensive New Trial Lawyer Training Program, Mock Trial Program, New Investigators Training Program, the Mentorship Program, Trial Skills Program, and the Leadership Training Program.  She regularly collaborates with local FPD offices and has co-created the California Regional Trial Skills Program and the  Evidence Skills Workshop. 

From 2022-2024, she spent two years with the Training Division where she trained nationally and built the “Mentorship Space,” a series of webinars to assist and support offices in building structured mentorship programs.  Jen especially loves being a mentor to new trial lawyers as they brave the draconian courts and build their advocacy skills and confidence to become fearless defenders, and later to leaders in the office. Hardly one-sided mentorships, she likewise learns from their creativity, energy, and fresh outlook. She also enjoys building trainers, honing in on their expertise and experience, helping them create their presentations, and empowering them. Jen has been a DFPD for 17 years after learning from some of the best in criminal defense at the firm formerly known as Lightfoot Vandevelde. She is a Loyola Law School and Occidental College graduate and a Watson Fellow.  

She is certified in Fierce Leadership, and has completed the AO Academy Leadership Franklin Covey Program, Crucial Conversations, and FJC Leader as Coach program.  When she is not fighting the good fight, she surfs with her family, sews (quilts, felt snacks and food, and Halloween costumes) and cooks.