Ronda Swenson M.A.

Ronda Swenson is a single mother of a daughter whom she has raised completely on her own while building her career. Ronda works as an independent contractor and her educational background includes completing extensive units towards earning a PhD in Human Services with a specialization in Criminal Justice. She has a Masters Degree in Education/Sociology, as well as a Bachelors degree in Sociology and a Paralegal certificate. Ronda also completed two years of law school before deciding to pursue her Masters degree. Ronda is certified in Forensic Social Work by the National Organization of Forensic Social Workers.She has worked in the legal field for over twenty years. During this time, Ronda has worked for private attorneys, conflict panels, public defender offices and alternate defender offices. She works on; Serious felonies, Franklin and Millers, Juvenile Transfers, and Capital cases both on the state and federal levels.

Ronda has worked as a social worker/investigator on a dependency panel for over fourteen years. Her family provided foster care to over 100+ foster youth over the course of twenty years. It is due to that foundation Ronda is able to make strong connections with the children and families on her caseload.In 2011, Ronda was fortunate enough to obtain a post-conviction paralegal/investigator position with the Northern California Innocence Project/DNA Project. Unfortunately, her position was eliminated due to grant funding in October 2013. She continues to volunteer with the project and stays in contact with staff and exonerees.

Currently she works with; Private Attorneys, Court Appointed Attorneys, ADO Offices and Public Defender Offices as a Mitigation Specialist. Ronda has trained social workers in forensic social work and she is on a panel to conduct forensic psycho-social evaluations on immigration cases.

Working in the Criminal Justice System and Juvenile Dependency System it is easy to see just how broken these system are and the inhumanity that is so prevalent in these systems. To make her own difference in these systems. Ronda started a non-profit Compassion is Fashion to: Empower and Inspire, Foster Youth and Other Disadvantaged Population through; Art, Education, Fashion, and Self-Esteem Programs.

" Be the Change You Want to See in the World"  Gandhi

Memberships:

NOFSW: National Organization of Forensic Social Work

NLADA: National Legal Aid & Defenders Association

NASAMS: National Alliance Sentencing & Mitigation Specialists

NAPD: National Association Public Defense