Full Name
Saerin Cho
Job Title
Chief Legal Officer
Company
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Speaker Bio
Saerin Cho is a mission-driven attorney, a nonprofit executive, and an adjunct law professor. She began her legal career in antitrust and competition law litigation and transitioned to a Big 4 accounting firm to work in M&A tax due diligence and later ultra high-networth clients’ tax compliance. Around her daughter’s first birthday, she pivoted her career to the nonprofit sector. That was 10 years ago.
As the Chief Legal Officer of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the nation's largest nonprofit working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking, she oversees legal, risk, and compliance. Prior to MADD, she was the first General Counsel of Digital Green Foundation, a global development nonprofit organization that provides technology solutions for rural farmers to build prosperous communities. Prior to Digital Green, she served as the Deputy General Counsel and the Chief Eligibility Counsel at TechSoup, a global technology nonprofit organization that connects mission-driven technology companies and nonprofits worldwide with digital resources.
In addition, Saerin is proud to serve as the Chair of Board of Directors for Public Interest Registry (PIR), a nonprofit organization created by another nonprofit organization Internet Society, to manage the .org domain. The PIR portfolio now includes .org, .ngo, .charity, .foundation, .gives, and .giving. PIR is also the force behind the .ORG Impact Awards.
Saerin is an introverted social butterfly who loves teaching and connecting with others. Using her authentic voice, she teaches the next generation of lawyers at the University of San Diego School of Law, mentors the rising stars, and fosters supportive communities all around her. In addition to being a law professor, she has served as a yoga teacher and yoga retreat leader, dance instructor, and an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Korea.
Saerin has a J.D. and an LL.M. in Taxation, Magna Cum Laude, from University of San Diego School of Law, and two B.A.s, Magna Cum Laude, in International Studies and Cum Laude, in Criminology, Law and Society from University of California, Irvine. She was born and raised in South Korea, moved to the U.S. as a teenager, and is the first one in her family to attend college. She is a mother to two children and a wife of a veteran. She resides in San Diego, California with her family.
As the Chief Legal Officer of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the nation's largest nonprofit working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking, she oversees legal, risk, and compliance. Prior to MADD, she was the first General Counsel of Digital Green Foundation, a global development nonprofit organization that provides technology solutions for rural farmers to build prosperous communities. Prior to Digital Green, she served as the Deputy General Counsel and the Chief Eligibility Counsel at TechSoup, a global technology nonprofit organization that connects mission-driven technology companies and nonprofits worldwide with digital resources.
In addition, Saerin is proud to serve as the Chair of Board of Directors for Public Interest Registry (PIR), a nonprofit organization created by another nonprofit organization Internet Society, to manage the .org domain. The PIR portfolio now includes .org, .ngo, .charity, .foundation, .gives, and .giving. PIR is also the force behind the .ORG Impact Awards.
Saerin is an introverted social butterfly who loves teaching and connecting with others. Using her authentic voice, she teaches the next generation of lawyers at the University of San Diego School of Law, mentors the rising stars, and fosters supportive communities all around her. In addition to being a law professor, she has served as a yoga teacher and yoga retreat leader, dance instructor, and an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Korea.
Saerin has a J.D. and an LL.M. in Taxation, Magna Cum Laude, from University of San Diego School of Law, and two B.A.s, Magna Cum Laude, in International Studies and Cum Laude, in Criminology, Law and Society from University of California, Irvine. She was born and raised in South Korea, moved to the U.S. as a teenager, and is the first one in her family to attend college. She is a mother to two children and a wife of a veteran. She resides in San Diego, California with her family.
