In this must-listen episode of Subject to Interpretation, host Maria Ceballos-Wallis speaks with Rachel Rossi, former Director of the Office for Access to Justice at the U.S. Department of Justice. Together, they explore the vital role of language access in due process and civil rights, and how language justice is an essential part of ensuring equal access to justice for all. Tune in for a compelling conversation about the intersection of law, language, and social justice—one you won’t want to miss!

Rachel Rossi is a former Director of the Office for Access to Justice in the U.S. Department of Justice and previously served as Deputy Associate Attorney General and the DOJ’s first Anti-Hate Crime Coordinator. A career public defender in Los Angeles, she later served as Counsel to Senator Richard Durbin, helping lead efforts on the First Step Act, and as Counsel to the House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee. In 2020, she became the first former public defender to run for L.A. County District Attorney, earning nearly half a million votes. Rossi later served as Legal Director for the REFORM Alliance. She holds a law degree from Pepperdine University and is the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic and Greece.