Diana Belles

Diane A. Bellas grew up in the East Bay and has been an advocate seeking equity and justice for underrepresented people since graduating from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.  She served her clients at the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office as a trial lawyer who took many complex and challenging cases to jury trial, then eventually led the office as the Chief Public Defender, by appointment of the Board of Supervisors.  During her tenure she joined with court stakeholders and community entities providing services to people experiencing homelessness to create the Alameda County Homeless and Caring Court, where she gratefully represented clients for many years and for which she was recognized by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.  

Diane Bellas is a Past President of the California Public Defenders Association, from which she received its Lifetime Achievement Award; and she has served on the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, by appointment of the California State Senate, as well as on the Judicial Council of California, Collaborative Justice Courts Advisory Committee, by appointment of the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court.   After serving as a commissioner on, and Chair of, the California Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation, which assists the Governor in the judicial selection process and seeks to build a fair and diverse judiciary, she was appointed by the Board of Supervisors of Marin County to serve as Interim Public Defender.  She will always be “inspired to aspire” by the C.U.R.A. family, its residents, and staff.