Senior Advisor Barbara J. Parker, Esq. served as Oakland’s City Attorney from 2011 to 2025 and was the first African American woman elected to citywide office in Oakland. Over nearly 14 years, she built one of the most active affirmative litigation programs in the country, filing more than 150 lawsuits to hold corporate polluters, abusive landlords and discriminatory corporations, and opioid manufacturers accountable. Her office recovered over $56 million for the city to support clean air, housing justice, and public health efforts, while advancing legal protections for Oakland’s most vulnerable residents. 

With over four decades of experience in public and private practice, Ms. Parker previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and as Oakland’s Chief Assistant City Attorney for more than a decade. A steadfast advocate for transparency and good governance, she prioritized compliance with open meeting laws and worked to ensure public officials were accountable to the people they serve. Ms. Parker served as a member of the Judicial Council, which oversees the operations of the California courts, was named Public Lawyer of the Year by the State Bar of California and honored by the California Diversity Council as one of the state’s Most Powerful & Influential Women. She is a graduate of the University of Washington and Harvard Law School and has resided in Oakland’s Haddon Hill Neighborhood for 35 years.