Laura Jane Kessner serves as Head Deputy District Attorney for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (LADA). As a member of LADA for thirty years, Laura Jane specialized in the prosecution of sex crimes and has responded to habeas corpus petitions and appeals in both state and federal courts.

Laura Jane graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in History. She received her J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and was a member of the Loyola Law Review.

Laura Jane currently serves on the LACBA State Appellate Judicial Evaluation Committee and in that role, has led committees vetting prospective Court of Appeal justices. She previously served as a member of LACBA’s President’s Advisory Committee on Women in the Legal Profession (PAC) and has contributed to PAC’s Oral History Project, documenting stories of gender bias from prominent women in the legal profession.

In addition to her legal work, Laura Jane has been active in the community. She is a member of the Executive Committee for the United Friends of the Children, a nonprofit providing housing and educational opportunities for local foster youth. Laura Jane is a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles and started two Girl Scout troops consisting of 30 girls. She is a member of the Girl Scout Gold Award Committee and interviews and mentors prospective Gold Award applicants.

In her spare time, Laura Jane enjoys practicing yoga, roller skating, reading books, spending time with her husband and cats, and dreams of becoming fluent in French.