About me
Mano Raju serves as San Francisco’s elected Public Defender, where he is nationally recognized for advancing excellence in public defense, piloting innovative approaches to public safety, and advocating for a more just legal system. The son of Indian immigrants, his pursuit of justice is deeply rooted in his awareness of social inequalities. Raju holds degrees from Columbia University and UC Berkeley, and he spent seven years as a Deputy Public Defender in Contra Costa County before joining the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. Over his career, he has served as a line attorney, Director of Training, and Felony Unit Manager, while lecturing nationally on race-conscious representation, trial advocacy, and high-stakes criminal defense.
As California’s only elected Public Defender and a board member of the National Association of Public Defense, Raju leads one of the nation's most innovative offices by combining zealous client representation with holistic community services. His dedicated advocacy has earned him numerous honors, including the South Asian Bar Association’s Public Interest Achievement Award, La Raza Centro Legal’s Visionary of Justice Award, and multiple California Public Defender’s Association Special Recognition Awards—most recently in 2026 for confronting excessive workloads and protecting clients’ Sixth Amendment rights. Committed to a client-centered approach, Raju focuses on the human impact of his work, fiercely litigating individual cases while pushing for systemic reforms to address inequities in the criminal legal system.
