Chantá Parker has over twenty years of criminal defense experience, having worked as a supervising attorney in the Criminal Defense Practice of the Legal Aid Society’s Brooklyn office, and as a felony trial attorney with the Orleans Public Defenders. As a public defender, Chantá has seen up close the impact of mass incarceration on clients, their families, and their communities and has experienced the harms of mass incarceration both in her professional and personal life.

In 2020, Chantá was named one of Crain’s Detroit 40 under 40 business leaders for her work in building a public defender office from the ground up. Chantá was named a 2015 Council of Urban Professionals Fellow. Chantá is a leader in Gideon’s Promise, a national training program for public defenders that was featured in the award-winning documentary “Gideon’s Army” in 2013. Chantá serves on the board of directors of the Essie Justice Group, a sisterhood of women with incarcerated loved ones, where she has shepherded the growth of Essie from its inception and shares its commitment to justice, Black liberation, and women’s leadership.

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Chantá holds a BA in African American History from Spelman College and a JD from the New York University School of Law.

Beyond the courtroom, Chantá offers consulting for individuals and organizations navigating transitions with an experienced, steady hand. Hometown service and expertise, brought to your team or your situation.