I am a second-generation civil rights attorney with deep roots in Alameda County and a lifelong commitment to public service. My father, civil rights attorney Charles Bonner, has practiced law for more than four decades. I grew up around the legal profession, but becoming an attorney was not an automatic or predetermined path for me. Instead, my career has been shaped by service, persistence, and a desire to contribute meaningfully to my community.

I earned my undergraduate degree in Human Biology, an interdisciplinary major that focuses on the human experience from scientific, social, and educational perspectives. My academic focus was on elementary and middle school science education, and I conducted research and completed an honors thesis on ways to improve science instruction in Oakland public elementary schools. During college, I also spent two summers teaching chemistry to middle school students through the Summerbridge program. These experiences deepened my understanding of how institutions affect people’s lives and reinforced my commitment to equity and opportunity.

After college, I served for two years as an AmeriCorps member with Partners in School Innovation, working in underperforming public schools in Oakland. I was assigned to Hawthorne Elementary School, then the largest elementary school in the Oakland Unified School District. In my first year, I collaborated with teachers to develop a parent engagement initiative designed to strengthen home–school connections. In my second year, I worked with school leadership to implement a schoolwide data system to track literacy assessments and student progress. This work required collaboration, problem-solving, and respect for the perspectives of educators, families, and administrators, skills that continue to inform my approach to the law.

Following AmeriCorps, I continued working with schools and nonprofit organizations, providing technology and database support through a firm that served mission-driven clients. One such client was the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, where I worked alongside advocates dedicated to social justice and community empowerment. It was during this period that I realized I wanted to contribute more directly by becoming a lawyer, someone who could advocate, analyze, and help resolve disputes within the legal system itself.

My path to law school was not linear. I applied, was rejected, regrouped, and reapplied. That experience reinforced the value of perseverance and perspective, qualities that have served me throughout my legal career. I ultimately began law school at UC Davis School of Law and later transferred to Stanford Law School. During law school, I was awarded a King Hall Legal Foundation Summer Internship Fellowship and returned to the Ella Baker Center as a legal intern. I worked throughout California organizing parents of incarcerated youth and advocating for improved conditions in juvenile detention facilities.

At Stanford Law School, I gained my first hands-on experience representing clients through the Stanford Community Law Clinic, assisting individuals with employment and housing matters. I participated in evidentiary hearings, worked directly with clients navigating difficult circumstances, and developed core advocacy and listening skills. I also pursued coursework in civil rights law, impact litigation, and advocacy, building a strong foundation for practice.

After graduating from law school, I joined my father’s practice with clear goals: to help people and to become a capable, ethical lawyer. Over the past 20 years, I have litigated cases and tried matters before juries in courts throughout California and in other jurisdictions. My work has been dedicated to individuals seeking fairness, dignity, and justice within a complex legal system. I have worked on a wide range of civil cases, including police excessive force and false arrest, employment discrimination and hostile work environments, whistleblower retaliation, mass torts, medical malpractice, and personal injury.

In 2014, I completed my first mediation training at the Center for Understanding in Conflict. Since then, I have worked to help parties resolve disputes through thoughtful, collaborative problem-solving to achieve fair and durable outcomes. I have also volunteered my time to the courts, serving as both a judge pro tem and a mediator in small claims matters. I am currently on both the Alameda County Superior Court and the Northern District ADR panels. 

Working in a small firm has meant responsibility at every stage of litigation, from client intake and investigation through trial and appeal. I have handled a wide range of cases, requiring me to quickly master new areas of law and complex factual records.

These experiences have given me a practical understanding of courtroom operations, evidentiary issues, and the realities faced by litigants and attorneys alike. They have also reinforced the importance of preparation, efficiency, and clear decision-making, qualities essential to the effective administration of justice.

Equally important, my practice has required me to evaluate cases realistically and honestly. As an advocate, I learned that truly understanding both sides of a dispute strengthens judgment and credibility. Guiding clients, often during moments of stress or hardship, has taught me to balance advocacy with candor and to assess legal claims through the lens of how a judge or jury might view the evidence and the law. This ability to step back, evaluate competing arguments, and communicate clearly is central to the role of a judge.

As a judge of the Alameda County Superior Court, I would bring integrity, impartiality, and respect for the rule of law to every case. I understand that court decisions have lasting consequences for individuals, families, and the broader community. My commitment is to listen carefully, apply the law fairly, manage cases efficiently, and treat every person who enters the courtroom with dignity and respect.