Tracy Paner graduated from Mary Washington College, where she studied economics and political science. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University Of Richmond, where she graduated in 1991. Immediately following graduation, Tracy joined the Richmond Public Defender's Office. as an assistant public defender and the 11th attorney in the office. In 2006, Tracy was promoted to be the Chief Deputy Public Defender, placing her as the second-in-command of the Richmond Public Defender's Office and giving her the opportunity to increase her role in the management of the office. In 2016, it was Tracy's great personal and professional honor to be appointed by the Indigent Defence Commission to be the Chief Public Defender in the office. Throughout her time as a public defender, Tracy has had the benefit of practicing in every Court in the City of Richmond that handles criminal cases and has served in every position in the office, from new hire to the head of the office. This has given Tracy the ability to see and analyze the office from a myriad of perspectives. She is a member of the Virginia Criminal Bar Association, Richmond Criminal Bar, and the National Association of Public Defenders (NAPD). The office is a Gideon's Promise partner office.

Tracy lives in Henrico, along with her wonderful husband of 22 years, Karl, their three daughters, and with many dogs and cats. Tracy is passionate about family, fairness, and fighting for her clients. In her free time Tracy likes to hike, garden, knit and foster kittens for the SPCA.

Morgan Faulkner began her career at the Public Defender’s Office after graduating from law school. She has practiced before all of the sitting Judge’s in the Richmond General District and Circuit Courts. She is a citizen of the Upper Mattaponi Tribe and enjoys kayaking when not fighting for her clients.

Annalisa Feinman is a West Virginia native and has lived in Richmond since 2014. She is a graduate of Elon University and Washington & Lee University School of Law, where she defended individuals through the W&L Criminal Justice Clinic. Annalisa has represented clients across Virginia, both as a public defender and in private practice. In addition to her experience, Annalisa works to bring enthusiasm and understanding to each case. When she’s not in court, Annalisa can be found enjoying the scenery (and especially the restaurants) around Richmond with her family.

Jena Mayfield received her J.D. from U.C. Berkeley School of Law. While in law school, she worked on behalf of a client on death row through Berkeley Law's Death Penalty Clinic, and represented young people in delinquency proceedings in the East Bay Community Law Center's Youth Defender Clinic. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University.

Ashley Shapiro is a Deputy Public Defender in the Richmond City Public Defender’s Office. Ashley previously served as a public defender in Fairfax, Virginia and St. Mary's County, Maryland. During her time as a public defender, she has litigated dozens of jury trials, countless motions and represented both children and adults. Ashley previously worked as the Immigration Resource Attorney for the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission, conducting training for all public defenders in Virginia regarding the immigration consequences of criminal convictions, and case-specific consultations.

In her spare time, Ashley serves as the Legislative Director for Justice Forward Virginia, a criminal justice reform non-profit. Justice Forward advocates in the Virginia General Assembly for criminal justice reform, striving to make the criminal system more fair and just. Justice Forward has helped change a number of laws that contributed to systemic racism and mass incarceration.

Ashley is also a member of the national Racial Justice Initiative through the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, currently creating a holistic justice collaborative with the Legal Aid Justice Center and other Richmond advocates.

Ashley graduated With Honors from The George Washington University Law School. At GWU, she was a Thurgood Marshall Scholar, earned a Pro Bono Service Certificate, and was awarded a Shapiro Public Service Scholarship. Immediately upon graduation, Ashley clerked for the Maryland Court of Appeals. Prior to law school, Ashley graduated Summa Cum Laude from San Diego State University.

Washington College; University of Richmond School of Law

I graduated from Roanoke College in 2017 and I graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in May 2020. I have been licensed to practice law in Virginia since Oct. 2020. I love being a Public Defender because I enjoy working hard for my clients and their families in a criminal legal system that forgets humanity. When I am not working, I love spending time with my husband and two dogs.

Lucas Childers is a 2020 graduate of the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law where he served as a student attorney for the Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Clinic. In his spare time Lucas enjoys playing disc golf and fishing.

Gianna Fienberg is a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law, where they received The Nina R. Kestin Service Award and served as the Executive Editor for the Richmond Public Interest Law Review. They began their career in the Fredericksburg Office of the Public Defender before joining the Richmond office in 2021.

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Brianna Mashel is originally from New Jersey and received her J.D. from William & Mary Law School, where she interned with the Federal Public Defender's Office in Norfolk, Suffolk Public Defender's Office, and Newport News Public Defender's Office. Prior to law school, she attended the University of Maryland where she received degrees in both History and Government & Politics. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and exploring the outdoors.

Taylor McCormick is from Henrico, Virginia and she began her legal career at the Richmond Public Defender’s Office. Taylor graduated Summa Cum Laude from Virginia Commonwealth University where she received her B.S. in Criminal Justice. She obtained her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School. In law school, Taylor taught criminal procedure as a tutor and served as a Criminal Law and Policy Initiative Fellow. She also interned at the Arlington Public Defender’s Office where she advocated for clients at pre-trial hearings and confirmed her passion for indigent defense. In her free time, she enjoys watching football (Go Washington!) and reality television.

Samantha Dardick Mier is a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law where she received the Orell-Brown Award for Clinical Excellence in Children’s Defense. Samantha graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a B.A. in History and the University of California, Berkeley, with a Master’s in Public Policy. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her family and two unruly dogs.

Zack is a Senior Assistant Public Defender with the Richmond Public Defender Office. He's originally from West Virginia, but moved to Virginia to attend law school at William & Mary, and has lived in Richmond for the last six years. He has tried multiple felony and misdemeanor cases to juries, and represented hundreds of clients in the juvenile and domestic relations court, general district court, and circuit court. Outside of work, Zack enjoys spending time with his fiancée and their puppy, playing board and card games, and grilling in the backyard.

I am Deputy Public Defender in the Richmond Office. I am originally from Canada, where I completed my undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering. I graduated from Vermont law School. I teach as an adjunct in VCU's forensic science department. In my spare time I like to cook and play basketcall and touch football.

Meredith Shaw received her J.D. from Charleston School of Law, where she interned with the Capital Trial Division of the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense. Before law school, she attended East Carolina University where she received degrees in both Psychology and Political Science. She also earned her Paralegal Certificate from Duke University.

Julia graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2011 and joined the Richmond Public Defender's Office in February of 2012. Since then, she has handled thousands of cases ranging from trespass to murder. In her role as a senior public defender, Julia also manages a courtroom and provides supervision and guidance to newer attorneys in the office. Julia's favorite part of her job is her clients, but jury trials are a close second.

Eva Swanson grew up in Hanover County and has called Richmond home since 2009. She double-majored in English Literature and Women & Gender Studies at the College of William and Mary, graduating cum laude. Eva graduated with honors from the University of Richmond School of Law, where she was active in the Children’s Defense Clinic, Institute for Actual Innocence, and the Trial Advocacy Board. She received the Orrell-Brown Award for Clinical Excellence in the Children’s Defense Clinic and was recognized for her hours of pro bono service to the Richmond Public Defenders Office during her multiple summer internships and fellowship.

Before joining the Public Defenders Office, Eva was in private practice serving injured workers as a Workers’ Compensation attorney. She enjoys raising chickens, the art of drag, crosswords, traveling, and Richmond’s many local breweries.

Alanna Trivelli was born in Colorado and graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law after obtaining her undergraduate degree from Oklahoma City University. Prior to becoming an Assistant Public Defender, Alanna clerked for a Chesterfield County Circuit Court Judge. Since her time in the Richmond Public Defender's Office, Alanna has handled many case, including numerous jury trials on serious felony charges. She has litigated issues in cases ranging from driving charges to first degree murder. Alanna has tried cases in every courtroom in the City. She is certified in juvenile defense and has assisted with multiple specialty dockets, including the Juvenile Behavioral Health Docket. She prides herself on being a zealous advocate for her clients and defending the constitution on a daily basis.

I've been employed with the Richmond Public Defender’s Office for 17 years as a Mitigation Specialist. Prior to this position, I was a Probation & Parole Officer, for 15 years, including two years with Richmond’s Adult Drug Court. I am a founding Board member for Virginia Holistic Justice Initiative and on the Board for Assisting Families of Inmates. In addition, I serve on the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initative, Richmond ReEntry and Trauma Informed Care Network committees.

My job as a Mitigation Specialist is to advocate for my clients by helping them tell their story. I do this by working closely with my client's attorneys and investigator as part of their defense team. I help clients with finding community resources that will be most beneficial for them, in addition to finding mental health services and/or housing if needed. I also assist attorneys in gathering mitigating information, requesting relevant records on behalf of our clients, and act as a social worker to help support clients and their families.

Molly received her Master of Social Work from VCU in 2017 and has worked with the Richmond Public Defender since then as a Mitigation Specialist. Molly uses her background in social work to bring a unique perspective to the defense team and advocate for our clients. In Molly's spare time she enjoys walking her two dogs, playing tennis, and traveling.

My name is Haley Norris and I am originally from Cookeville, Tennessee. In 2016, I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a minor in Psychology from Tennessee Tech University. The following year, I continued my education and graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. I have been employed as an Investigator with the Richmond Public Defender's Office for two years. I am client centered and work diligently on each case that I am assigned to aid the defense counsel in obtaining the best outcome for our clients.

The Criminal Justice System gives you the opportunities to make a difference in a person's life when they enter the system (when individuals are apprehended, when a individuals are held prior to their court date, assistance with their defense, services and treatment while individuals are incarcerated and wrap around services to include supervision when a individuals are released back into society).

I've worked in the Criminal Justice System as an Command Investigator in the Navy, Juvenile Correction Officer at Beaumont Juvenile Correctional Center, Juvenile Rehabilitation Counselor at Beaumont Juvenile Correctional Center, Juvenile Intensive Probation Officer at the 13th District Court Services Unit, Juvenile Intensive Parole Officer at the 13th District Courts Services Unit and in my current position as Investigator with the Indigent Defense Commission.

I am originally from Mazatlan, Mexico. My goal is helping others and serving my community. As a member of this office as well as the VA National Guard, I am constantly working towards that goal. At the Public Defender's Office, I hope to be helpful to our clients and provide bilingual help when needed.

I graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. I have worked at the Richmond Public Defender's office for 3 years. I handle Legal Assistant tasks as well as administrative tasks for the appeals in our office. I am dedicated to giving our clients the respect they deserve and doing what I can to help them during this difficult time in their lives.