In 1979, while still in law school at Berkeley, Pamela co-founded and coordinated the Bay Area Defense Committee for Battered Women. The Committee's Advisory Board included prominent feminists such as civil rights icon Angela Davis and lesbian and gay rights pioneer, Del Martin.
From 1982-84, Pamela co-chaired the Bay Area Chapter of the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) and served on NCBL's National Board.
Pamela is one of the founding members of the famed Bay Area choir, Vukani Muwethu, which has been singing South African freedom songs since 1986.
In 2007, Pamela was appointed to serve as the Interim Executive Director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco, an organization committed to protecting the civil and human rights of poor communities, immigrant communities, communities of color, and other marginalized groups. She later served two terms as the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors, and as the Director of Special Projects. She has been a member of the Lawyers Committee since 2006. In 2009, her firm received the "Living the Dream Award" for its generous financial contributions to the Committee.
Pamela has also served in leadership roles in the Black American Law Students Association (BALSA), Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) and the Oakland East Bay Democratic Club. She is also the CEO and Founder of the Ida B. Rising Political Action Committee.
In 2017, Pamela was honored as the Woman of the Year for Assembly District 18 by Assemblymember Rob Bonta and the California Legislative Women’s Caucus for her lifetime of social justice advocacy and service to the people of Alameda County.
In 2018, Pamela successfully completed Oakland Rising's "Lead East Bay" training program. She also provides pro bono legal services to Oakland's Coalition for Police Accountability, and serves as a mentor in the Bay Area Legal Incubator (BALI) program of the Alameda County Bar Association.
Pamela has received multiple Certificates of Special Congressional Recognition for her community service from Congresswoman Barbara Lee (2003, 2015, 2016) and Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (2017).
