Meet Yo
ur New
W
e recently caught up with incoming CCCBA President Steve Steinberg over openfaced meatball sandwiches in Lafayette...
jored in religion, with a focus on Chinese religions and particularly Confucianism. When I was applying to law schools, I decided I had to get back to someplace warm.
Tell us about your family.
I got into Arizona State right off the bat, and even found an apartment and attended orientation there. Then at the last minute, I heard from UC Hastings that I got in off the waitlist, and had to accept within 30 minutes and be back for orientation three days later. I did it, and thank goodness I did, because I met my future wife at orientation.
My wife, Christine Chestnut, is also a lawyer practicing in Contra Costa County. She is Staff Counsel at Save Mount Diablo. We have two children. Our daughter, Nyana, is four years old, and our son, Kai, is one and a half. My parents live in Alamo and take care of our kids two days a week. My mother-in-law lives in San Rafael and takes care of our kids one day a week. We are very lucky to have so much help from our families.
Where are you from? I was born in Walnut Creek. When I was in fifth grade, my parents moved to Alamo. I have lived or worked in Contra Costa all my life with the exception of college.
Are you the first attorney in your family? No. My paternal grandfather was an attorney and CPA in New York City. He worked for the city for most of his career.
Where did you go to school? I went to college at Princeton University in New Jersey, where I ma-
It looks like you graduated from law school in two years. How did you do that?
Board Pr
esident
Stephen Steinberg
It was two and a half years. I was able to do that because during the first summer, I participated in a summer internship program and classes through Santa Clara University for credit in Hong Kong.
of law clerks working for judges, so when I showed up, the judge didn’t know what to do with me at first. It was a learning process for the two of us. I also externed in a barristers chambers, and worked with a barrister on a personal injury trial that had a successful result.
Tell us about externing with a Hong Kong judge.
Did you wear a wig?
The common law system is used there too, so researching cases is similar, and legal proceedings are conducted in English, though many witnesses and other participants require translation.
Does your work now involve Asian countries?
However, they have no tradition
You had to be a barrister or judge to get a wig.
My firm, Vasquez Benisek & Lindgren, does a lot of work with Chi-
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION CONTRA COSTA LAWYER
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