John Mathews II, President

John Mathews II serves as President of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation, where he leads an incredible team in advocacy and philanthropy on behalf of Long Beach Public Libraries. John also serves as Chief of Staff for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, the largest Public Defender’s Office in the nation. In his capacity as Chief of Staff, John leads the strategic development and implementation of Public Defender priorities.

Before joining the LA County Public Defender’s Office, John served as Senior Justice Deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, where he spearheaded crucial county and statewide criminal justice reform efforts. Prior to joining Supervisor Mitchell’s team, John led criminal justice reform advocacy campaigns as Director of Community Engagement and Senior Legal Counsel for the Justice Collaborative. John’s legal expertise is enriched by his experience as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Puerto Rico during the Obama Administration, as a litigation associate at Latham & Watkins LLP, and a federal judicial law clerk for the Honorable Raymond A. Jackson.
 
John received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA and his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he served as President of the Harvard Black Law Students Association and editor for the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Beyond his professional accomplishments, John continues to play key leadership roles in several organizations, including the John M. Langston Bar Association and the Harvard Law School Association.