Alex Johnson is the Executive Director for the Children's Defense Fund-California. The Children’s Defense Fund-California is the state office for the Children’s Defense Fund; a national organization founded in 1973 by Marian Wright Edelman. In his capacity as Executive Director, Alex leads an organization with 16 full-time staff members and an annual budget of over $2.6 million. Further, Alex leads the organizations statewide advocacy, policy, program and organizing efforts to ensure access to quality affordable health coverage and care for children and low income families, reforming the juvenile justice system, promoting educational equity, and ending child poverty.
Prior to assuming this position, Alex served as Assistant Senior Deputy for Education and Public Safety to Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. Born, raised and educated in Los Angeles, he is the product of Los Angeles public schools and the son of a retired LAUSD teacher and a retired truck driver. Alex’s work has focused on altering the social dynamic that begins with a student's poor education in childhood, progresses to a high dropout rate during high school and ends with a young person's future irrevocably altered by crime, conviction and incarceration.
Prior to his work in Los Angeles County, Alex worked with school instructional leaders in the New York City Department of Education. He provided counsel to school leaders and departmental executives as well as managed complex civil litigation, policy matters and special disciplinary proceedings as part of a teacher quality initiative. He taught constitutional law and civics to high school students as a Fellow with the Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project. Additionally, Alex served as an adjunct lecturer at Lehman College, one of 23-colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY) system.
As an Equal Justice Works Fellow, he advocated on behalf of indigent defendants at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Alex began his public service experience as an intern in the offices of U.S. Representatives Julian Dixon and Juanita Millender-McDonald. He served as an aide to Georgia State Representative Douglas C. Dean and as a project manager for the 2000 Democratic National Convention Committee in Los Angeles. Alex worked for the late noted attorney Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. and previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx, New York where he advocated for victims of domestic violence.
Alex is a graduate of Morehouse College and earned his Juris Doctor from American University, Washington College of Law. Alex is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Education and serves on the Board of the Wiley Center for Speech and Language Development.
Alex is the author of Beyond Higher Education: The Need for African-Americans to be "Knowledge Producers."
Executive Director|
Children's Defense Fund-California
From September 2014 to Current • 12 year(s)
Lead organization with 15 staff, $2.6M budget, and offices in LA, Oakland, and Sacramento. Responsible for statewide advocacy, policy, and organizing efforts for children's health coverage, juvenile justice reform, educational equity, and ending child poverty.
Candidate|
Alex Johnson for LAUSD School Board 2014
From January 2014 to August 2014 • 0 year(s)
Candidate in special election for vacant LAUSD seat, advanced to runoff election and raised over $1.4 million.
Assistant Senior Deputy for Education and Public Safety|
Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
From November 2012 to August 2014 • 2 year(s)
Senior-level policy advisor providing leadership in education and public safety policy priorities. Directed millions in funding for preschool, juvenile justice, and early childhood education programs.
Deputy for Education and Public Safety|
Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
From November 2010 to November 2012 • 2 year(s)
Policy advisor for education and public safety initiatives including juvenile justice reform, early childhood education, and public safety realignment.
Attorney|
New York City Department of Education
From November 2008 to October 2010 • 2 year(s)
Managed complex civil litigation and disciplinary proceedings to remove poor performing school personnel. Lead attorney on hearings and trials, counseled school leaders on performance management.
Adjunct Lecturer|
Lehman College, City University of New York
From October 2007 to October 2010 • 3 year(s)
Taught Litigation/Civil Procedure, Legal Research, and Legal Ethics for six semesters including lesson planning and grading.
Assistant District Attorney|
Bronx County District Attorney's Office
From September 2005 to November 2008 • 3 year(s)
Managed over 900 felony and misdemeanor cases, conducted jury and bench trials, plea negotiations, and grand jury proceedings.
Student Attorney|
Community & Economic Development Law Clinic
From August 2004 to May 2005 • 1 year(s)
Represented non-profit corporations in civil, regulatory and political matters. Developed practical solutions for grant funding and lobbying entities.
Law Clerk|
Cochran, Cherry, Givens, Smith & Stewart P.C.
From May 2004 to August 2004 • 0 year(s)
Researched and drafted memoranda for civil rights claims, wrongful death, and products liability cases. Prepared discovery materials and attended depositions and hearings.
Fellow|
Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project
From August 2003 to May 2004 • 1 year(s)
Taught constitutional law, criminal law, and civics to secondary school students at SEED Public Charter School and Paul Public Charter School.
Law Clerk|
Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia
From May 2003 to August 2003 • 0 year(s)
Prepared appellate briefs and motions addressing prosecutorial misconduct and Fourth Amendment matters in the Appeals Bureau.
Legislative Aide|
Office of State Representative Douglas C. Dean
From January 2002 to May 2002 • 0 year(s)
Drafted proposed legislation and legislative correspondence, prepared analysis of pending floor legislation.
Intern|
Office of Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald
From August 2000 to December 2000 • 0 year(s)
Drafted legislative correspondence, researched policy issues, developed student leader networks for campaign outreach.
Project Manager|
Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC)
From July 2000 to August 2000 • 0 year(s)
Managed one-day community outreach project for 2000 Democratic National Convention, coordinated press outreach and volunteer efforts.
Intern|
Office of Congressman Julian C. Dixon
From May 2000 to July 2000 • 0 year(s)
Researched foreign and domestic policy issues, tracked pending legislation, attended committee meetings and hearings.
