Heather graduated magna cum laude from Santa Clara University School of Law. She began her legal career at the Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc., as a trial attorney handling felony trial
and appeal cases. She left trial work for a judicial clerkship in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose division, working for the Honorable James Ware. After the clerkship, she became a staff attorney for the U.S. District Court specializing in pro se prisoner habeas corpus and civil rights cases. She then returned to trial work at the Federal Public Defender’s office in San Jose and has been in the office for the past eleven years. She has held the Assistant Federal Public Defender position as both a trial attorney and currently as a research and appellate attorney.