Chatman subsequently change careers, graduated from law school, served as a deputy district attorney, and was a senior judge of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County, California, prior to her death.
After high school, Chatman attended Bakersfield College and transferred to California Polytechnic State University, where she played point guard for the Cal Poly Mustangs women's basketball team from 1968 to 1970 and graduated with a B.S.
[3] After graduating from Cal Poly, she was a physical education teacher and girls' basketball coach at Andrew P. Hill High School in San Jose from 1970 to 1973.
[7] In recognition of the achievements of her Spartans teams, she was honored as the San Jose State University Women's Basketball Coach of the Century, and she was inducted into the SJSU Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
Chatman changed careers in 1986, retired from coaching, and attended the University of California, Hastings College of Law at the age of 38.
After graduating from Hastings in 1989, she accepted a position as a deputy prosecutor in the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, where she prosecuted gang violence, sexual assault and murder cases over ten years.
She made frequent presentations and appearances at schools and community groups, and was the inspiration for the 2005 founding Building Peaceful Families (BPF), a nonprofit entity whose mission is to foster the health and safety of children through better parenting.