Defense Attorney and Civil Rights / LGBTQI+ ActivistIndividual
Mia Frances Yamamoto, born, Poston, Arizona, 1943, in an American concentration camp for Japanese Americans. B.S. 1966, CSULA, US Army 1966 -68, 4th Infantry Division, US Army Vietnam, awarded Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and Vietnam Service Medal, co-founder, UCLA Asian Pacific Islander Law Student Association, 1969; JD 1971, Legal Aid Foundation, LA 1972-1974, Los Angeles Public Defenders Officer 1974-1984, State Public Defenders Office 1985. Criminal Defense private practice since 1985.
Past President, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, Japanese American Bar Association and Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance. Co-founder, Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Multi-Cultural Bar Alliance of Southern California. Founding board member, International Bridges to Justice (Human Rights organization providing training advocacy on behalf of defenders worldwide. Previously served on the boards of the Korean American Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association and American Civil Liberties Union, as well as the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Commission of the ABA.
Honors include Awards from the Women Lawyers Association of LA, Criminal Courts Bar Association of LA, National Lawyers Guild, and others. Received the Spirit of Excellence award from the ABA, Trailblazers Award, NAPABA, Diversity and Educational Pipeline Award from the California State Bar. She has been honored by API Equality, Lambda Legal and the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission. She was awarded the Rainbow Key Award from West Hollywood and the Harvey Milk Legacy Award from Christopher Street West/LA Pride.
She is a frequent media commentator in print, television and radio, relating to issues of criminal and constitutional law, as well as a frequent lecturer and panelist on issues relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.