Lisa Foster is the Co-Founder and Senior Advisor at the Fines and Fees Justice Center (FFJC), where she leads the organization’s work with the judiciary and courts. A retired judge and the former Director of the Office for Access to Justice at the United States Department of Justice, Lisa brings years of policy expertise and firsthand knowledge of the judiciary and court administration to her work. At FFJC, Lisa collaborates with judges, court administrators, and communities on fine and fee reform, including implementing fair and efficient ability to pay assessments, effective alternatives to monetary sanctions, fee elimination, and appropriate collection practices.

Lisa served for ten years as a California Superior Court Judge in San Diego, where she  presided over criminal, family and civil cases and served as the Presiding Judge of the Court’s appellate division. After retiring from the bench, Lisa joined the Justice Department in 2015 where she led the Department’s efforts to address fines and fees. Her collaborative work across multiple DOJ components resulted in two convenings, millions of dollars in funding, and the development of critical advocacy tools. Lisa co-authored a “Dear Colleague” to state court leaders, addressing the legal framework that governs the enforcement of fines and fees. She also co-authored an Advisory to juvenile courts throughout the country on the civil rights implications of imposing fines and fees in juvenile justice proceedings.

After leaving the DOJ in January 2017, Lisa traveled extensively in the United States and Canada speaking about fines and fees and other issues related to poverty and justice, working with state and local courts to address these issues. In 2018, she co-founded FFJC with Joanna Weiss.

Lisa received a B.A. in American Studies from Stanford University and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

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