Maritza Perez Medina is the Director of Federal Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance in Washington, DC. She manages the organization’s federal legislative agenda and advocacy strategy in Congress as well as DPA’s general engagement with the federal government on its policy priorities. Previously, Maritza was a Senior Policy Analyst for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center for American Progress (CAP). Prior to joining CAP, Maritza was a Legislative Staff Attorney at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) where she advocated on a range of civil rights issues impacting Latino communities.
Originally from Nevada, Maritza obtained her B.A. from the University of Nevada, Reno with academic honors, graduating with double majors in journalism and Spanish and double minors in political science and economic policy. She earned her J.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, receiving the highest distinction upon graduation for her pro bono work, and is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and in the state of California.
A criminal justice and drug policy expert, Maritza has been featured in various media outlets including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Roll Call, The Boston Globe, CNN, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, NPR, Latino USA, and more.
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