Jodi Halim Linker has been appointed federal public defender for the Northern District of California, making her the first woman in the role since the establishment of the office in 1972. Linker’s four-year term began on March 4, 2022. On her appointment, Linker said, “I am honored and humbled to be chosen to lead an office of tremendously talented individuals dedicated to providing the highest quality representation for our clients. The work we do is important; a strong public defender’s office is critical to ensuring that all of our rights are protected and that every person is treated with dignity and humanity. Building off our solid foundation, I am committed to making our office as strong as ever to bring excellence to that mission.” In this leadership role, Linker will oversee offices in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. She joined the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of California in 2007, after working as an associate at Clarence Dyer & Cohen in San Francisco.