Anne Hoover
Deputy Public Defender, County of Santa Barbara
Fox Rothschild, 2014-2019
- J.D., Rutgers Law School, 2014
- B.A., Pennsylvania State University, 2011
What attracted you to your current position?
I wanted to serve the public and become a public defender. I enjoyed working as a corporate associate in Fox’s Princeton office because I learned how to solve big, interesting business problems for clients. But I wanted to make a transition into criminal law and hone my litigation skills. Serving as a clerk for a judge who was a former public defender is an incredible opportunity to do that. This court hears many civil rights and habeas corpus cases as well as some cases at the intersection of criminal law and immigration, which is particularly interesting to me.
On a personal level, Southern California was a lifelong draw. I grew up in New Jersey, and my parents live just a few minutes from Fox’s Princeton office. That was very convenient. But living at the beach has always been a dream that I never thought would happen. I love it out here.
Why do you want to be a public defender?
Everyone deserves strong representation. I would want someone to fight hard for me if I were at risk to lose my basic freedom and liberties. As a society, we tend to dehumanize the accused and judge people by their worst mistake. Many of the accused are among the most vulnerable, and the odds are stacked against them from the beginning.
What nugget of professional advice would you give to a new Fox associate?
Build relationships at the firm with as many people as possible, including outside of your practice group or office, even if they’re not necessarily going to give you work assignments right away. If you’re drawn to someone’s practice, introduce yourself. It pays off. One of the benefits of working at a firm like Fox is that the attorneys have a diverse array of experiences and backgrounds. Even as a corporate associate, I was able to step out of my day-to-day and work on pro bono litigation, an impactful experience that is helpful to me now in my role as a law clerk.
Is there anything you miss about working in Big Law?
Absolutely. The quality of the work available and the people I worked with at Fox were crucial to my development as a young attorney. I learned professionalism and how to listen and work effectively with clients. The training, resources and support for the attorneys were also very helpful. There are many things you take for granted at a big law firm. For example, I can now appreciate how the firm made it easy to check off my CLE reporting and helped navigate the administrative side of practicing law.
Where would we find you on a Saturday morning?
Definitely on the beach. I live in Laguna Beach so I love to swim in the ocean whenever I can, and I’m trying to learn how to surf. I’m usually on the same size waves as the local kids, but it’s really fun even though I’m terrible. If I’m not at the beach, I’m at the farmer’s market getting groceries. The produce in Southern California is so fresh all year round, which is awesome, because I love to cook.
