Freda previously worked as a public defender in Nashua, New Hampshire where she represented adults and children charged with misdemeanors and felonies. After graduating from Northeastern University, Freda attended Northeastern Law School with the goal of becoming a public defender. While there, she served clients at Greater Boston Legal Services, public defender offices in Boston and San Diego, and a law firm handling primarily criminal defense and appeals. She co-led a team of law students in research projects regarding nationwide justice reform efforts, and later co-founded a student organization focused on abolition. Prior to law school, she co-chaired a youth mentoring program (DREAM) and reported on justice issues as a student journalist. After over a decade on the east coast, Freda relocated back home to Southern California where she practiced family law before joining PFJ.