Mary Naughton

Mary has a lifelong passion for protecting animals, promoting justice for all living beings, and assisting victims. She earned her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she focused on animal law, criminal law, and environmental law. While at UCLA, she sought to enhance access to justice for underserved clients, serving on the Criminal Justice Law Review, the UCLA Journal of Gender and Law, the Tribal Legal Development Clinic, and the Education Rights Clinic. During law school, she clerked in the violent crime section of the United States Attorney’s Office in San Diego. Mary also graduated summa cum laude from Colgate University, where she majored in Political Science and interned in the Clerk’s Office of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Prior to joining ALDF, she was a litigator at Gibson Dunn, where she worked extensively on pro bono matters.

She lives in San Diego with her rescue dog, Violet. Outside of work, Mary enjoys hiking, playing volleyball, volunteering, and taking Violet to the beach.