Polly graduated from UC Santa Cruz, majoring in biology and politics, and completed her JD degree at Boalt Hall, UC Berkeley in 1983. She worked for 30 years at the law firm of Goldfarb and Lipman, 25 years as a partner, serving as legal counsel to nonprofits and public agencies, specializing in affordable housing and community redevelopment.

Polly was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. She retired from her law firm in 2014, seeking a healthier work/life balance, and began training and working as a breast cancer prevention advocate, focusing on environmental causes of breast cancer and chemical regulation. She founded Breast Cancer Over Time in 2014, serving as its Executive Director, was Co-Principal Investigator on the research study, “Impact of Reduced Chemical Exposure on the Human Breast,” and was Co-Principal Investigator on the research study “In Vivo Impact of Xenoestrogen Exposure on the Human Breast.” She continues as an active member of the California Bar, and is dedicated to the prevention of breast cancer in the next generation of young women.