Attorneys
Civil Rights & Criminal Defense Attorneys
Jivaka Candappa
J.D., Hastings College of Law
Jivaka Candappa is the principal of Candappa Law Firm. He is an aggressive and passionate trial lawyer with over 15 years of litigation experience in civil rights, criminal defense, education, employment and personal injury law. He has tried over 50 trials to verdict in federal and state courts. In 2012 and 2013, he was named a Rising Star by the Super Lawyers Magazine, an honor that recognizes only 2.5% of attorneys in California for attaining a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Mr. Candappa was formerly a Deputy Public Defender with the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office in Northern California, where he maintained an excellent track record as a trial attorney. In cases that he tried before juries, Mr. Candappa obtained better results for his clients than the plea bargains offered by prosecutors and the courts.
Mr. Candappa has provided pro bono representation on select First Amendment and criminal defense cases through the National Lawyers Guild.
Education
- Hastings College of the Law, University of California, J.D., 2002
Professional Recognition
- Named “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine (2012, 2013)
- Named “Top Attorneys Rising Stars” in Northern California by San Francisco Magazine (2012, 2013)
- Named in 2011 Top Verdict Search Settlements by The Recorder (2012)
Bar Admission
- Licensed in California
Memberships
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- National Police Accountability Project, National Lawyers Guild
Testimonials
The Oakland Institute is an independent policy think tank that focuses on increasing public participation and fair debate on critical food and agriculture, poverty and international development issues. Our successful campaigns in the U.S. and abroad, especially on the topic of international land deals, have resulted in threats of legal action. The thoroughness, timely response, and attentiveness to every detail by our legal counsel, Jivaka Candappa, allows us to continue with our mission without operating from a place of fear. In this struggle of David vs. Goliath, Jivaka Candappa's legal support is an invaluable asset to us!
I wouldn’t consider my case closed without providing feedback about how Mr. Candappa stepped in and saved me from an unbelievable nightmare. At that time, I lived 600 hundred miles away and was tempted to plead guilty just to eliminate repeat court appearances. Fortunately, Mr. Candappa came to my rescue, advising me that if I was not guilty of any crime then I should not be tempted to plea bargain. Mr. Candappa did such a good job that the judge dismissed the case and overruled one of the other judge’s earlier rulings.
