Emma Gunderson

Emma is a dedicated advocate for survivors, bringing a creative, client-centered approach to her work.

Emma is a mission-driven attorney who has been providing direct legal services to clients since 2011. Early in her career, she worked with survivors of trafficking to vacate criminal convictions and challenge laws that contributed to their criminalization.

Emma later developed experience in criminal and appellate defense as a staff attorney with the California Appellate Project, where she served as lead counsel on court-appointed felony appeals. In this role, she reviewed trial records to identify evidentiary and procedural errors and drafted appellate briefs that contributed to the reversal of multiple convictions.

Emma previously served as a trial attorney with the Children’s Law Center of California, where she represented children in the foster care system experiencing abuse and neglect, as well as parents navigating family separation. She proudly served youth in DREAM Court, a specialized courtroom serving commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC), where she supported survivors in accessing services and pursuing legal outcomes responsive to their needs.

Today, Emma focuses her practice on representing survivors of sexual abuse in complex civil litigation. Drawing on her experience working with incarcerated individuals and children, she has particular familiarity with abuse in institutional settings. She combines a trauma-informed approach with a commitment to holding individuals and institutions accountable.

Emma earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Irvine School of Law. While at UC Irvine, she was a Public Service Fellow, received High Pro Bono Honors for her work with the California Innocence Project and the Clemency Project, and received the Dean’s Award for her work in the Criminal Justice Clinic.

Outside of her practice, Emma enjoys audiobooks, spending time with her daughters, and life in Los Angeles.