Laura Petty is a native Californian. She completed a double major in Politics and Women’s Studies, and graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 1993 with highest honors. Ms. Petty attended Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, where she graduated as the Valedictorian of her class in 1996. Her experience includes employment in both the public and private sectors. She worked as a deputy public defender in Northern California from 1998 until 2007, and has been in private practice representing adults and juveniles since 2007, with the exception of one year with the Santa Clara Public Defender’s trial team in 2022.
Following her employment in Santa Clara, Ms. Petty has relocated her solo law practice to the central coast. She is pleased to bring her expertise and experience to help clients in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. Recently, Ms. Petty partnered with Santa Barbara Conflict Advocates to represent youth in juvenile court matters. Ms. Petty is currently accepting adult and youth clients in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. In addition to her criminal law practice, Ms. Petty is committed to working to benefit her community. Ms. Petty also works with the First District Appellate Project, and represents both juveniles and adults on appeal.
Before relocating to the central coast, Ms. Petty proudly served as the Vice President of the Vacaville Public Education Foundation and as the Chairperson of the Solano County Commission for Women and Girls. She served as a board member for the Solano County Bar Association from 2011 until 2017, serving as its President in 2016, and was the chair of the Solano County Barristers from 2009 until 2018. Ms. Petty also served as a member of the Vacaville Unified School District’s Measure A Citizen’s Oversight Committee from 2015 through 2020. Ms. Petty provided volunteer judge pro tem services for the Solano County Superior Court’s juvenile division from 2008 until 2018. Ms. Petty joined the Pacific Juvenile Defender Center’s Advisory Board in April 2020.
In addition to her experience as a private defense attorney, Ms. Petty is a former deputy public defender in Sonoma, Siskiyou, Solano and Santa Clara Counties. Her record demonstrates a strong dedication to adults and youth charged with criminal offenses, both in the trial court and courts of appeal. She has been a certified criminal law specialist for over ten years. Aside from her criminal law practice, Ms. Petty is a former Adjunct Professor at Golden Gate University School of Law, in San Francisco, where she taught Legal Writing and Research. In addition, she formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Petty is a member of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, the California Public Defenders' Association, the National Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, National Legal Aid and Defenders Association, National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 in Criminal Defense, and the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association.
