Nathaniel Teng is a J.D. candidate at the University of California Davis, School of Law (Class of 2027). He is an aspiring public defender who is deeply passionate about legal system reform and representing underserved communities. In 2022, Nate graduated from the University of California Riverside with high honors and was the first in his family to receive a college degree. While at UCR, Nathaniel received the Honors Excellence in Research scholarship for his capstone project assessing the presumption of innocence and its impact on underserved communities. Immediately after receiving his B.A. in Philosophy/Law & Society and before attending Davis Law, Nate worked as the first and sole Marketing Coordinator for SEO Scholars San Francisco, a non-profit helping underserved kids get to and graduate from a four-year college, raising over $8 million at the annual Achievement Benefit and doubling student recruitment over two years.

Since 2017, Nathaniel has held internships with the Public Defender’s offices for both Contra Costa County and Alameda County. As a 2L, Nate was the Co-Chair of the Filipinx Law Students Association (FLSA), helped establish Davis Law’s first ever Public Defender organization (King Hall Defenders), and organized a student coalition that prevented the suspension of the Civil Rights Clinic. This year, Nate will compete in national competitions as a member of the Trial Practice Honors Board, and will continue the work of expanding King Hall Defenders as its Chair.