Caree Harper

Caree Harper is a civil rights and criminal defense attorney in Santa Monica, California. The founder of The Law Offices of Caree Harper, she serves clients throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area and Santa Monica.Ms. Harper has over 20 years of experience providing legal counsel for a whole variety of civil rights and criminal defense matters at the state and federal levels, including jury trials in both arenas. She was a police officer in the East Bay area and was injured in the line of duty, which provides her with a distinct advantage when helping California residents who are facing criminal charges or whose civil rights have been violated.Striving to protect her clients’ rights to life and liberty, Ms. Harper understands that her clients’ freedom and long-term future may be in jeopardy when they are accused of criminal charges. During her time as an attorney, she has been involved in many significant cases that have secured the most favorable results for her clients.Ms. Harper spent a decade taking on pro bono cases for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Pasadena, and she mentored youth through Grizzly Youth Academy. Recognizing her commitment to providing free legal services, the County of Los Angeles & U.S. House of Representatives awarded her the Shirley Fields Volunteer Award for spending nearly half of her time on pro bono cases.After receiving a bachelor’s degree and a paralegal certification from Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga, Ms. Harper earned her law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and then passed the California Bar exam on the first attempt in 2002. She also received training to investigate death penalty cases from Santa Clara University School of Law.Involved in her legal community, Ms. Harper is a member of the John M. Langston Bar Association, the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, and the California Lawyers Association Solo and Small Firm Section.As a result of her real, rational and reasonable services, Ms. Harper has received several endorsements and positive reviews from her peers and clients. She is rated “Very Good” through Avvo and included in the list of the “Top 100 Attorneys in Civil Rights and Criminal Defense” in 2014 by The National Trial Lawyers.