Lynne Lyman is the California state director for the Drug Policy Alliance. Based in Los Angeles, Lyman leads the criminal justice reform work and manages all other aspects of the statewide policy and advocacy work. A native of Los Angeles, Lyman joined the Drug Policy Alliance in 2012, after working with the civil rights organization, Advancement Project, on issues of violence reduction, community policing and criminal justice reform.

Before that, Lyman was the principal of Public Cause Consulting, a Los Angeles-Boston firm that provided services in policy development, political advocacy, and capacity building to community based organizations and government entities seeking to address social problems confronting inner city communities, particularly issues relating to racial justice, youth violence and juvenile justice system reform.

In Massachusetts, Lyman held positions within State and Boston City governments. As a special assistant in the office of Boston’s Mayor and as the Director of Justice and Prevention for the Executive Office of Public Safety for MA, Lyman worked on community violence reduction and criminal justice system reform.

In California, Lyman worked as an aide to members of Congress, the State Legislature and the City Council, in addition to managing political campaigns for numerous politicians in the Los Angeles area.

Lyman received her M.P.A. from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2001, where her graduate work focused on the criminal justice system and leadership. Among other distinctions, She had the honor of receiving the Barbara Jordan Memorial Leadership Award given once a year to the most outstanding female student exhibiting leadership and commitment to public service. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley in 1996. Lynne lives in Los Angeles with her daughter, Kalia.