Carmen-Nicole Cox is Founder and President of The Cox Firm for Law and Policy. For 15 years Carmen has served as a trusted advisor to California leaders in all three branches of state government as well as business and nonprofit executives.

Prior to founding The Cox Firm, Carmen served as Director of Government Affairs at ACLU California Action where she led a team of diverse advocates to shape the State’s policy and budget agendas.

Before joining ACLU, Carmen was the inaugural Chief Counsel of Public Policy and Advocacy for United Way California Capital Region. In that role she secured millions of dollars in funding and policy wins to alleviate poverty, strengthen family resiliency, and improve education outcomes for children.

Carmen is an adjunct professor at McGeorge School of Law teaching Race, Mass Incarceration and Criminal Justice Reform. A self-described liberation attorney, her work has impacted millions of Californians through her prior roles as Deputy Director at For The People, Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary for Governor Jerry Brown, Chief of Legislation at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Deputy District Attorney in San Joaquin County and civil litigator at Downey Brand LLP and Weintraub Tobin.