Maritza Perez, Esq. is the Director of the Office of National Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance in Washington, DC where she leads the organization’s federal legislative agenda and strategy to end the war on drugs. Previously, she was a Senior Policy Analyst for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center for American Progress (CAP) where her portfolio included marijuana policy, policing, and prison and sentencing reform. Prior to joining CAP, Maritza was a Legislative Staff Attorney at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), where she began her legal career as a Soros Justice Fellow advocating for policies to end mass incarceration. A criminal justice policy expert, Maritza has been featured in various media outlets including The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, The Boston Globe, Latino USA, and more. Maritza earned her J.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Nevada, Reno, graduating with double majors in Journalism and Spanish and double minors in Political Science and Economic Policy. The proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, she is the first in her family to receive a higher education and earn a professional degree. She is originally from Elko, Nevada.
