About me
Kirsten Gettys Downs is the Director of Systemic Reform at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, where she leads the Maryland Justice Partnership, a community-driven initiative to dismantle mass incarceration and advance a more equitable legal system. She brings more than two decades of experience at the intersection of law, policy, and organizational leadership, including prior service as Baltimore City’s District Public Defender and as Executive Director of the Homeless Persons Representation Project. A seasoned trial lawyer and systems advocate, Kirsten has focused her career on expanding access to justice, strengthening community partnerships, and translating lived experience into structural change. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
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