Los Angeles

The Prosecution Rests: Jackie Lacey

It is not easy being third in command of one of the largest district attorney offices in the country, but to those who know her, Jacquelyn Lacey makes it seem effortless. Jackie has been a prosecutor for nearly 24 years in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, an office of about 1,056 deputy district attorneys most notably known for the prosecutions of O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson, and - ironically - the doctor accused of causing Michael Jackson’s death. As Assistant District Attorney of Line Operations, Jackie oversees the Bureau of Central Operations and the Bureaus of Branch and Area Operations Regions I and II. These bureaus contain about 500 prosecutors who handle the majority of cases for the LADA. Jackie has nine years of executive management experience, and is a member of District Attorney Steve Cooley’s executive staff. As a deputy district attorney, Jackie tried over 60 felony jury trials, including eleven murder trials. She sought and received a death verdict in People v. Richard Browne, a case in which the defendant Richard Browne was convicted of a string of violent crimes, including the callous murders of a gas station employee and a liquor store owner, and was sentenced to death, and she obtained the first “hate-crime” murder conviction in Los Angeles County.

I had a chance to interview Jackie Sunday afternoon sitting across the table in her kitchen banging away on my laptop and hoping the tape recorder captured everything she said because it was very informative. I hope you enjoy the interview. May the prosecution call its witness!

What is your educational and legal background?

I went to Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, so I am a Los Angeles native. I went to undergraduate at U.C. Irvine and majored in psychology, and I earned my J.D. from USC law school. I decided to apply to law school in my junior year when I took a class called the Introduction to the Study of Law. The class had guest speakers and one of the speakers was a young African-American lawyer named Irma Brown, who is now a judge. Listening to her speak about how exciting it was being in a courtroom was a major reason why I decided to apply to law school.

What was it about the excitement that made you think about becoming a lawyer?

Irma expressed such enthusiasm in the way she talked about her courtroom victories. It is hard for me to explain, but looking at her, at how young she was, maybe five or six years older than me, I thought if she could be successful at being a lawyer, then so could I. I listened to her talk about the thrill and excitement of being in the courtroom, and actually sat in a courtroom in Santa Ana and observed cases as part of the course. I remember thinking I felt very comfortable in a courtroom, very at home there, and was interested in everything that went on. It was almost like watching a theater, if you will. Each person who addressed the judge changed the atmosphere in the courtroom. And I thought, this is something I can be good at.

What led you to want to become a prosecutor?

I would love to say it was some big calling, but I ended up in the DA’s office really just following a friend.

The Prosecution Rests: Jackie Lacey

Submitted by April Christine

It is not easy being third in command of one of the largest district attorney offices in the country, but to those who know her, Jacquelyn Lacey makes it seem effortless. Jackie has been a prosecutor for nearly 24 years in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, an office of about 1,056 deputy district attorneys most notably known for the prosecutions of O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson, and - ironically - the doctor accused of causing Michael Jackson’s death. As Assistant District Attorney of Line Operations, Jackie oversees the Bureau of Central Operations and the Bureaus of Branch and Area Operations Regions I and II. These bureaus contain about 500 prosecutors who handle the majority of cases for the LADA. Jackie has nine years of executive management experience, and is a member of District Attorney Steve Cooley’s executive staff. As a deputy district attorney, Jackie tried over 60 felony jury trials, including eleven murder trials. She sought and received a death verdict in People v. Richard Browne, a case in which the defendant Richard Browne was convicted of a string of violent crimes, including the callous murders of a gas station employee and a liquor store owner, and was sentenced to death, and she obtained the first “hate-crime” murder conviction in Los Angeles County.

I had a chance to interview Jackie Sunday afternoon sitting across the table in her kitchen banging away on my laptop and hoping the tape recorder captured everything she said because it was very informative. I hope you enjoy the interview. May the prosecution call its witness!

What is your educational and legal background?

I went to Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, so I am a Los Angeles native. I went to undergraduate at U.C. Irvine and majored in psychology, and I earned my J.D. from USC law school. I decided to apply to law school in my junior year when I took a class called the Introduction to the Study of Law. The class had guest speakers and one of the speakers was a young African-American lawyer named Irma Brown, who is now a judge. Listening to her speak about how exciting it was being in a courtroom was a major reason why I decided to apply to law school.

What was it about the excitement that made you think about becoming a lawyer?

Irma expressed such enthusiasm in the way she talked about her courtroom victories. It is hard for me to explain, but looking at her, at how young she was, maybe five or six years older than me, I thought if she could be successful at being a lawyer, then so could I. I listened to her talk about the thrill and excitement of being in the courtroom, and actually sat in a courtroom in Santa Ana and observed cases as part of the course. I remember thinking I felt very comfortable in a courtroom, very at home there, and was interested in everything that went on. It was almost like watching a theater, if you will. Each person who addressed the judge changed the atmosphere in the courtroom. And I thought, this is something I can be good at.

What led you to want to become a prosecutor?

I would love to say it was some big calling, but I ended up in the DA’s office really just following a friend.

Women in Criminal Justice

Los Angeles

Start: 01/20/2010 6:30 pm

End: 01/20/2010 9:00 pm

Timezone: US/Pacific

Where:

Academy Club & Lounge, LAPD, 1800 N. Academy Dr.

Informationon registration and content available here: http://www.wlala.org/cde.cfm?event=288421

Entertainment After Dark Event!

Start: 10/22/2009 6:28 pm

End: 10/22/2009 8:28 pm

Timezone: US/Pacific

Where:

Johnson & Johnson, 439 N. Canon Dr., Ste 200, Beverly Hills, CA

Entertainment After Dark Event!

Free for Law Students!

Importance of Intangibles in the Changing Job Market

Start: 09/03/2009 5:00 pm

End: 09/03/2009 6:30 pm

Timezone: US/Pacific

Where:

UCLA School of Law, room 1447

The Importance of Intangibles in the Changing Job Market

Thursday, September 3, 2009, 5:00– 6:30 p.m., with Reception to Follow

UCLA School of Law , Room 1447

Finding a Job that's Right for You

The classes of 2010, 2011, and 2012 are the "guinea pigs" for firms re-thinking hiring, training, billing and compensation. Smart job searches are the key to success. Walk into your next interview knowing what makes a future employer right for you so you can tell them why you're right for them.

Law Firm Leaders' Summit: Practical Ways to Retain and Promote Women Lawyers (Los Angeles, CA)

Start: 11/13/2008 9:00 am

End: 11/13/2008 4:30 pm

Timezone: US/Pacific

Where:

Marriott Downtown Los Angeles, 333 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles

Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles present Law Firm Leaders' Summit: Practical Ways to Retain and Promote Women Lawyers

Program Information: