Jennifer Uyeda
Senior Learning Designer
Deeply committed to mentorship and leadership development, Jennifer Uyeda is a Senior Learning Designer focused on creating and expanding mentee-centered mentorship programs that develop emerging leaders and support new defender staff nationwide.
She previously served as Chief of Training for the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California for seven years, where she was a Deputy Federal Public Defender for 18 years. She designed inclusive, innovative, and practical structured training programs for defender staff and members of the CJA Trial Panel. Major programs included the New Trial Lawyer Training, Mock Trial, New Investigators Training, Sentencing Advocacy, and Leadership Training. She also collaborated extensively across the Ninth Circuit to co-create programs including the California Regional Trial Skills Program, Evidence Skills Workshop, and Listen to Lead.
She developed the “Mentorship Space,” a webinar series supporting the creation of sustainable mentee-centered mentorship programs available on www.fd.org. She also continues to train and support the Chief Defender Mentee-ship Program.
In her mentee-centered mentorships, she supported new trial lawyers building courtroom confidence, strengthening their advocacy skills and growing into leadership roles, while also coaching emerging trainers to refine their expertise and presentation skills.
She holds certifications in Fierce Leadership, and has completed the AO Academy Leadership Franklin Covey Program, Crucial Conversations, the Federal Judiciary Center’s Leader as Coach program, and Co-Active Coaching Certification Program. She is currently pursuing an Associate Certified Coach credential with the International Coaching Federation.
Jennifer is a former associate at Lightfoot Vandevelde, a graduate of Loyola Law School, Occidental College, and the Trial Lawyer’s College, and a Thomas J. Watson Fellow. She enjoys surfing with her family, walking her Shiba Inu, quilts, sews (felt snacks and Halloween costumes) and cooks.
