Mano Raju

Mano Raju serves as San Francisco’s elected Public Defender, where he has become a nationally recognized leader in advancing excellence in public defense, protecting clients’ constitutional rights, piloting innovative approaches to public safety, and advocating for a more just criminal legal system.

A son of immigrants, Mano’s pursuit of justice is rooted in his awareness of the ramifications of social inequalities. His parents emigrated from a farming village in India to America, where they raised Mano to not forget his humble beginnings or those still left behind. Mano earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and a master’s degree in South Asian Studies and J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He served as a Deputy Public Defender in Contra Costa County for seven years before being recruited by his predecessor, Jeff Adachi, to join the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office.

Prior to being elected Public Defender, Mano defended clients as a line attorney, Director of Training, and Felony Unit Manager. He has taught and lectured nationally on race-conscious representation, trial advocacy, and defending gang and homicide cases for organizations including the California Public Defender’s Association, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, and the Black Public Defender’s Association.

Mano is on the Board of the National Association of Public Defense. He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including:

• 2019 North America South Asian Bar Association’s Public Interest Achievement Award,
• 2019 California Public Defender’s Association Special Recognition Award for his efforts leading to a landmark published California Court of Appeal decision protecting the limits of criminal defense discovery obligations under California’s reciprocal discovery statutes.
• 2021 Society of Professional Journalists’ James Madison Freedom of Information Award,
• 2022 La Raza Centro Legal’s Visionary of Justice Award,
• 2025 Award from the Washington State Office of Public Defense for his contributions as a Faculty Member at the Public Defense Leadership Institute,
• 2025 Award from the Family Foundation for his dedication to justice and commitment to advocating for the underserved in San Francisco;
• 2026 California Public Defender’s Association Special Recognition Award for leading the San Francisco Public Defender’s efforts to confront excessive workloads and protect clients’ Sixth Amendment rights, even in the face of contempt sanctions and significant institutional pressure.

Mano is committed to a client and community-centered approach to defense work. “Our impact is not measured in numbers, but in the people we represent,” he said. “It’s by the mother who can return home to her family. The son who can continue to work to support his family. And to the children of those we defend, who benefit from having an equal opportunity to survive and who might one day use that opportunity to lead.” The personal interest he takes in his clients’ lives helps fuel him not only to fiercely litigate and win cases, but also to raise his voice against the inequities he and his clients encounter in the criminal legal system.

As California’s only elected Public Defender, Mano continues to lead one of the nation’s most innovative public defender offices, combining zealous representation of individual clients with a commitment to holistic services and systemic efforts to improve the criminal legal system.