Ex-deputy public defender safe after first 'Survivor' round

Attorneys must be able to adapt to high-pressure environments, make thoughtful arguments before a judge and be able to persuade a jury to follow their arguments.

For former Ventura County Deputy Public Defender Hali Ford, those courtroom experiences came in handy on "Survivor," the longest-running reality contestant show on television.

Ford, 27, is one of the contestants on the show's 34th season, "Survivor: Game Changers," which was filmed on the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji. The show premiered its milestone 500th episode Wednesday on CBS.

This season features Ford and 19 other castaways from past seasons — including two-time winner Sandra Diaz-Twine — who are vying to outwit and outlast fellow and opposing tribal members in the game for a chance at $1 million.

In Wednesday's two-hour episode, Ford and her fellow "Mana Tribe" members lost the first two challenges, sending the players in front of host Jeff Probst for Tribal Council. Ford is safe so far, with the tribe voting off contestants Ciera Eastin and Tony Vlachos.

Ford, a Knoxville, Tennessee, native, was also a contestant on the show's 30th season, "Survivor: Worlds Apart" in Nicaragua, where she finished 11th out of 18 contestants.

Ford worked last year as a law clerk from March to May at the Ventura County Public Defender's Office and then took the summer off to fly to Fiji to shoot this season's "Survivor."

After shooting ended, Ford went back to the Public Defender's Office from August to January and handled misdemeanor trials such as DUI, vandalism, battery and drug possession cases.

"It was great. ... I was able to hit the ground running when I got back," Ford said during a phone interview Wednesday.

While she couldn't disclose details about the show, Ford said she was shocked and thankful to have been asked back.

Ford said she started watching "Survivor" when she was 9 and decided to try out after she graduated from Samford University near Birmingham, Alabama, in 2011.

After that season, Ford said, she decided to follow her passion for the law, and in particular, criminal defense. While attending the University of California Hastings College of Law, she served as a legal intern with the Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee and also worked at the Marin County Public Defender's Office. She graduated in December 2015.

Ford said skills she has learned as a practicing attorney helped her this season and vice versa. Those skills often came in handy during interviews and when facing the Tribal Council on the show and when speaking to host Jeff Probst.

"When Jeff asks you a question, it is somewhat similar to speaking to a judge in court," Ford said. "You have to know how to put together effective soundbites that answer his question in an engaging way while making your argument.

"Sometimes when you're playing 'Survivor,' you get in a tight spot and you really have to convince people to follow your plan. It's really an oral argument with both situations."

Having the ability to "read people" and learning to trust others during the competition and in court also has helped, Ford said.

"Survivor" airs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays on CBS.

Ford, who is now working as a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles, said she planned to watch this season's two-hour premiere with friends and her Season 30 castmate and best friend, Jenn Brown.

Ford said coming into this new season with seasoned veterans made the game more interesting.

"Going into the first game, we were all newbies, but this time there is a clear varsity team ... and I was on the JV team," Ford said with a laugh. "I knew I was going to have to scramble this season just to stay afloat. But I also came into this game in an advantageous position because I am not one who has a big target on their back."