Nicholas Cotter is an attorney with the Alameda County Public Defender. He is a trial lawyer representing indigent people charged with criminal cases. To date, he has represented hundreds of clients at all stages of criminal proceedings, including motions, preliminary hearings, and jury trials. He earned his bachelor’s degrees in Molecular & Cell Biology and Music from the University of California, Berkeley; his Master of Music from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach; and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. As a student at Berkeley Law, Nick was a competitor and co-director for the Berkeley Law Trial Team, a staff editor for the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, a research fellow at the California Constitution Center, and a member of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA).
Nick is passionate about studying and coaching trial advocacy. As a student, he earned team and individual awards at several national trial competitions, including recognition as an All-American Attorney in college and a national finalist in law school. As a coach, Nick has trained and consulted with teams at the high school, college, and law school levels and coached them to top finishes at regional, national, and international competitions.
Outside of work, Nick is a Senior Research Fellow with the California Constitution Center and a member of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area. He also serves as the Music Director for West Valley Youth Theater and plays clarinet and saxophone with the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra.
Education
B.A., Molecular & Cell Biology and Music, University of California, Berkeley (2015)
M.M., Woodwind Performance, California State University, Long Beach (2017)
J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (2020)