Janani Ramachandran, Commissioner

Janani Ramachandran is a lawyer, activist, and artist with a lifelong passion to build inclusive and equitable political systems. She is also a strong advocate for survivors of domestic violence: she works on initiatives that further the rights of survivors by making the legal system more accessible, culturally-responsive, and trauma-informed.

Janani currently serves as a Commissioner on the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, as Board Secretary for Family Violence Appellate Project, and as Board Director at Men Creating Peace.

Janani is an East Bay native. She received her J.D. from Berkeley Law, bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, and is provisionally licensed to practice law in California.

Prior to law school, Janani worked as a home-visiting case manager for low-income immigrant mothers. She later founded a domestic violence advocacy program across five community health clinics, where she led trainings for medical staff, supervised advocates, and launched public education campaigns. As a law student, Janani worked for several legal aid organizations on the intersections of domestic violence, housing, and other social justices causes.