Author, Educator, Advocate
Jennifer K. Johnson is a writer, attorney, and nationally recognized expert at the intersection of the mental health and carceral systems. For nearly two decades, she was a trial lawyer at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office where she specialized in representing clients with serious mental illness—cases that tested the limits of law, empathy, and resilience. She was a founding architect of San Francisco’s Behavioral Health Court and has played an important role in shaping public policy through her work as a consultant.
For ten years, Johnson was a lecturer at Berkeley Law where she co-taught a seminar on mental health and law with neuropsychiatrist George Woods. She is a sought-after speaker and has authored numerous articles and book chapters on mental health courts, criminal justice reform, and the psychological toll of legal practice. Her work has been recognized by the California State Association of Counties, the Council on Mentally Ill Offenders, the Pioneer Institute, and the San Francisco Superior Court.
A storyteller at heart, Johnson’s work extends beyond the page. She is co-creator of November in My Soul, a deeply reported historical podcast about mental illness, confinement, and liberty in California from the Gold Rush to the present. She continues to write, teach, and advocate for dignified mental health care and ending mass incarceration. She lives in California with her dog Beau.
