California Western School of Law, Fall 2023 Alumni Newsletter

Celebrating 100 years of providing students with the fundamental knowledge, skills, and experience to thrive in a rapidly evolving legal landscape.

For 100 years California Western School of Law has trained practice-ready lawyers and thoughtful advocates for justice. The oldest law school in San Diego is entering its next century prepared to provide students with the fundamental knowledge, skills, and experience to thrive in a rapidly evolving legal landscape.

Alumni Newsletter Fall 2023 | Volume 5 INSIDE 3 Dean’s Message

22 California Western’s Clinics

4 Competitive Advocacy Program

25 Career and Professional Development Office

6 Admissions Update 7 A Century in the Works: Celebrating our upcoming 100th Year 12 Alumni Spotlight: Darren Press ’92 15 Clinical Externship Spotlight: Ravenjade Sansano ’23 and Robert Dwyer ’22 20 Alumni Chat: Habib Hasbini, LLM ’02 and JD ’09

26 Alumni Board President 28 Alumni Association Board of Directors Spotlight: Chris Ann Maxwell ’75 29 Faculty Updates 33 Class Notes 37 Alumni Weekend Sponsors

DEAN’S MESSAGE

Dear Members of the California Western Community, The fall semester is in full swing here on campus.

Students, faculty, and staff returned from their summers rejuvenated and ready to carry on the proud California Western tradition.

I am very much looking forward to Alumni Weekend, which will be held on campus October 13 and 14. It will be wonderful to see you back on campus and to give you a glimpse into the exciting ventures we are preparing for the years to come.

I hope you will enjoy the stories in these pages as much as I have. Whether they’ve immigrated from Lebanon to San Diego and practice employment law or have moved from San Diego to Alaska to work in prosecution, our community is broad, diverse, and multi-talented. You will also find updates from our clinics— New Media Rights, the California Innocence Project, and the Community Law Project— and the incredible work they are doing to help the full spectrum of our community, from online entrepreneurs around the country to the low-income and homeless in our city.

Please keep your eyes and ears open for California Western updates this fall and winter, as we have officially launched our Law, Justice, and Technology

Initiative, an umbrella under which we will offer lectures, symposia, and courses that address the complex intersections of the law, social justice, AI, cryptocurrencies, and more.

California Western School of Law’s centennial is also fast approaching. 2024 will give us the opportunity to celebrate 100 years of institutional longevity and to demonstrate the evolution we are undergoing, becoming an academic institution that can be a leader in the field for the next hundred years. I hope you will support us in that endeavor All my best,

Sean M. Scott President and Dean California Western School of Law

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COMPETITIVE ADVOCACY PROGRAM

Decades Strong and Still Rising: A New Era of Competitive Advocacy Greatness

“There is a profound sense of pride in being part of an advocacy program that not only has a long history of underdog success in competitions, but also prepares students to be fierce advocates out in the real world. Almost 20 years ago, Mario Conte established the framework for a structured program that provides our students practical skills taught to them by some of our most talented alumni. Over the years the program has continually evolved and improved. I’ve seen

first-hand how our competitors are getting better and better every competition season.

With the recent success the teams have had, it feels like we are building even more momentum towards a future era of greatness!”

- Paul Parisi ‘06, Competitive Advocacy Program Director

CALIFORNIA WESTERN HAS PLACED 6TH IN THE NATION IN THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION’S 2022-2023 COMPETITIONS CHAMPIONSHIP!

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION TEAMS (ADR) National Champions / 1st Place

2nd Place

ABA Negotiation National Competition / 2023

Tulane International Futbol Negotiation Competition / 2022

Regional Winner / 1st Place ABA Mediation Regional Competition / 2023

Regional Winner / 1st Place ABA Negotiation Regional Competition / 2022

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2nd Place Southwestern Law School National Negotiation Tournament / 2022

APPELLATE TEAMS Oral Advocates Award / 2nd Best

Oral Advocate Award / 2nd Best

UCLA Cybersecurity National Competition / 2023

USD National Criminal Procedure Appellate Tournament / 2022

Best Brief in Regional Competition / 2nd Place

Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition / 2023

Regional Winners / 1st Place 2nd Best Brief Award

Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition / 2022

Best Brief in the Nation / 7th Place out of 87 Law Schools & Advanced to the Final National Round of The Top 32 LawSchools Based on Oral Arguments Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition / 2022

TRIAL TEAMS 2nd Place and Best Advocate Award

Finalist

San Diego ABTL Trial Competition / 2022

AAJ Student Trial Advocacy Regional Competition / 2022

Quarterfinalist CACJ National Criminal Trial Advocacy Competition / 2022

Finalist Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) Regional Competition (2022)

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Paul Parisi ‘06, our dedicated coaches, and the incredibly talented students on our Competitive Advocacy Teams. Your unwavering commitment and tireless efforts have not only raised the bar for excellence but have also brought immense pride to California Western. Your amazing work and remarkable achievements continue to inspire us all.

Thank you for making us proud!

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ADMISSIONS UPDATE

CALIFORNIA WESTERN FALL 2023 JD ENTERING CLASS: TOTAL JD ENTERING STUDENTS

MEDIAN AGE

24

208

47% 16%

62% 7%

are from outside California

have served in the military

MOST COMMON UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS SDSU

27

UCSD

20

32%

identify racially or ethnically with a group other than Caucasian/White

identify as LGBTQIA+

23%

FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE GRADUATES

48%

had a current or permanent San Diego County address at the time they applied

MOST COMMON UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR

POLITICAL SCIENCE

*Unofficial figures as of October 5, 2022. You may also find our current class profile on our website at cwsl.edu/admissions-and-financial-aid/jd-admissions/class-profile. Or scan the QR code.

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identify as Women

Leland G. Stanford (founder) 1924-1938

Dwight E. Stanford 1939-1949

Charles B. Holliday 1949-1952

California Western’s Deans: A Century of Leadership Llyod C. Swortwood 1958-1959

Ernest C. Friesen 1980-1985

Robert C. Castetter 1960-1980

Michael H. Dessent 1986-1996

Steven R. Smith 1996-2012

A Century in the Works:

Celebrating Our Upcoming

100th Year Niels B. Schumann 2012-2020

Sean M. Scott 2020-Present

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Our Journey in Frames:

Countdown to our Centennial

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Darren Press ’92 Note: This article discusses an act of racial violence.

Darren Press ‘92 has taken one of the more unconventional paths among our illustrious alumni — from law school to the stand-up comedy stage to filmmaking and to creative director of his own ad agency. But what surprised Darren was that, after a long career that had gone far afield of the legal profession, he found himself making a movie that brought him all the way back to one indelible internship he’d had while attending Cal Western.

The story of that internship and what came of it for Darren and everyone involved is certain to move anyone who hears it.

Growing up just outside of New York City, Darren always knew that he had a theatricality to him, which is part of the reason he ended up in law school in the first place — he imagined himself becoming a trial attorney and seeking justice, yes, but on a stage where he could perform for a rapt audience. When he ended up at a law school convention, he was heartened by the fact that the rep from Cal Western was the only delegate sitting behind the desk — “She was totally chill and relaxed, with lots of people asking questions,” says Darren. “And I thought, that’s where I want to go.”

While at Cal Western, Darren found the Southern California chill he was looking for— and much more.

While not in class, he immersed himself in the San Diego theater and stand-up scenes, and discovered a passion for screenwriting that has carried through to this day. While on campus, Darren especially

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relished the moot court competitions and mock trials. Looking back, he is also appreciative of the intensive introduction to contract law he received, which, ironically, became a crucial part of his career in marketing and entertainment, running his own agency and making movies, negotiating agreements all along the way.

When it came time for Darren to choose an internship, he sought out local personal injury/ medical malpractice attorney James McElroy, who had a reputation for empowering Cal Western interns and giving them exciting assignments. Darren vividly remembers the day, less than 24 hours into the job, when “Mac” walked up to Darren’s desk, and said, “Hey, I’m working on this interesting new case. Do you want to work on it with me?” Darren assumed it might be some wild personal injury case, “a motorcyclist driving a car off a bridge or something.”

With no clue about what it might entail, Darren said yes, not knowing that his life would be forever changed by that decision.

The next day, Darren learned what the case was.

Mulugeta Seraw was an Ethiopian college student who was living in Portland, OR when he was racially targeted and murdered by members of East Side White Pride, a group associated with the infamous white supremacist Tom Metzger and his organization WAR, White Aryan Resistance. Mulugeta’s murderers were imprisoned, but his family, represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center, also brought a civil case

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

against Metzger and WAR. Mulugeta’s family won that landmark case, receiving a judgment for $12.5 million, the largest award for a hate crime in Oregonian history at the time. Though the full amount wouldn’t be possible to recoup, Mac’s task, and consequently Darren’s, was to find every form of Metzger’s net worth from which the judgment money could be withdrawn.

What began as “a crash course in collections” quickly became much more than a legal investigation. Darren realized that he and Mac were being followed. Then things got scarier, Darren says: “The White Aryan Resistance had a hotline that you would call at the time.

This is back in the days of 1-800. And at the beginning of the hotline, they would list their targets. Morris Dees, the head of the Southern Poverty Law Center, was often target No. 1. But very quickly, Mac got onto that list, and then his ‘little assistant.’ Which was me.”

Incredibly, Darren stayed on the job, admitting that he was afraid, but maybe too young to realize how much danger he was in, and heartened by Mac’s confidence in carrying on despite the threats, for the sake of justice. Eventually, with some complex legal maneuvering, including a citation of the Homestead Act, Mac was able to collect money from Metzger over the next 20 years, all going to Mulugeta’s family in Ethiopia.

Early on, Mac and Darren discovered that Metzger had been receiving thousands of small donations from his supporters around the world each week, all arriving at a PO Box in Fallbrook, California. With this evidence, Mac was able to get the court to appoint a receiver and to rule that Metzger and WAR turn the key to the PO Box over to the receiver. The

receiver went to the PO Box weekly and, per the order, turned half of the proceeds over to McElroy for Mulugeta’s family.

Darren recalls that after the judge’s ruling, Mac asked him to prepare the order for the judge’s signature. He remembers delivering it, with security in tow, to a visibly uncomfortable judge who was concerned that he, too, would become a target of WAR. Ultimately, the order was put in place, and for years Metzger and the receiver met each week at the post office in Fallbrook to collect on behalf of Mulugeta’s family.

The story could have ended there — justice delivered, as much as the law could provide. But the story didn’t end there. Darren finished law school

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

and passed the bar, but ultimately decided to pursue his passion for the arts in New York City. For 10 years, Darren developed a successful career in theater and film, forming a fruitful partnership with his wife, C. Fraser Press. Several years ago, they were working on curriculum to teach inner city kids about entrepreneurship through improvisational theater. While Darren was researching the project, he realized that Mac was a board member of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

“So, I contacted him,” says Darren. “We caught up and reminisced. And that’s when he told me in a very Mac way, ‘Hey, did I ever tell you the punchline of the whole story?’”

After Darren’s internship ended, Mac remained on the case, collecting funds for Mulugeta’s family, specifically his young son who was still living in Ethiopia. After Metzger lost his final court appeal, Mac traveled to Ethiopia to help disperse the funds that had been collected at that time. During this trip, Mac and Mulugeta’s son hit it off. So much so that, with the son’s mother’s encouragement, Mac traveled back to San Diego with the boy for some SoCal summer fun. Over time, Mac, Mulugeta’s son, and his mother grew close, and Mac officially became Mulugeta’s son’s adoptive father, raising him as his own in San Diego. It’s an amazing story of love born from so much hate.

Over time, that boy grew into a man who today works as a commercial airline pilot, flying the biggest jets around the world, supporting a family of his own, with Mac now a proud grandfather. Darren and Mac also remain friends. Now, Darren has chosen to use his decades of acquired skill in telling stories to bring this one to the screen: “At the time, I knew I was involved in something that was profound. But I think I needed to be a little older, when you start to see these cyclical aspects of life. I started thinking, deep down,

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We are grateful that Darren shared his story with us and allowed us to pass it on to you. We hope you’ll keep your eyes and ears out for local screenings of “A Cow in the Sky” and the feature film down the line.

I want to do more with this.” He and C. Fraser spent the last two years writing, producing, and directing an animated short film called “A Cow in the Sky.” The movie only tells a small section of this incredible saga, focusing on a moment in the life of Mulugeta’s son and his first solo flight as a teenager, grappling with his identity, the legacy of a father he never knew, and the meaning of his murder. This spring, the movie captured the attention of Whoopi Goldberg, who selected it for its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and moderated a discussion with Darren and his wife after the first showing. The film continues to screen at festivals worldwide as they enter phase two of their plan to develop a live action feature film, so a wider audience can experience the inspiration this story continues to provide.

We are grateful that Darren shared his story with us and allowed us to pass it on to you.

We hope you’ll keep your eyes and ears out for local screenings of “A Cow in the Sky” and the feature film down the line.

Darren is yet another testament to the surprising and rewarding paths that a Cal Western education opens for its students.

CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP SPOTLIGHT

AND

RAVENJADE SANSANO ‘23 ROBERT DWYER ‘22

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CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Ravenjade Sansano ‘23 and Robert Dwyer ‘22 have one of the more unique law school stories you’re likely to hear.

Study partners falling in love is one thing, but doing an externship together in Alaska, being thrown immediately into trial work in the Anchorage prosecutor’s office, and eventually deciding to get married and move to the Last Frontier — that’s something else.

Robert always assumed that he would go to law school. He grew up around lawyers and describes himself as a “black-and-white kind of guy, so it was just a natural fit for me, the way I am.”

But when he didn’t have the means to go to college, Robert joined the military, intending to fund his education that way. What he didn’t know then was that he would happily do 14 years of active-duty service. Robert was accepted to Cal “Western in 2015, but deferred his entrance for another five years, wanting to experience more of what the military had to offer. In the meantime, he met and married his first wife and started a family. When he finally decided to start law school, his motivation was clear: “I wanted to show my children that a better future is possible for them. Anyone can join the military and be a success. But I wanted to push the envelope, so I could set an example —to show my kids this is what you can achieve.”

Ravenjade was on a very different path when she decided to go to law school. In her first years at Cal State San Marcos, her parents began divorce proceedings. As

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Filipino immigrants, they were unsure about how to navigate the legal questions and paperwork involved, so Ravenjade bravely stepped in to help translate and coordinate for them, and quickly realized how much was at stake in each step of the negotiations: “What happens today in court is going to affect my future and my brothers’ futures.” Feeling the pull of consequence, Ravenjade switched her major from biology to political science, joined the Pre-Law Society, and eventually got into an AmeriCorps program, where she worked in small claims court. Ultimately, it was this experience that pushed her to law school: “I thought, I’m doing this for free and it’s really fun. It would be amazing if I could do it for a living.”

Why California Western?

Ravenjade and Robert both highlight Cal Western’s unique contribution to the military community. With some helpful guidance from Kelly Fernando in the Financial Aid office, Robert was able to use his funds from the GI Bill to have his entire law school tuition covered — something that no other school in San Diego would offer, alongside a fully accredited academic program.

Robert remembers happily saying to himself, “Let’s do that! And knowing the way the school takes care of veterans was huge for me.

It seemed like a really good fit, and it was a great decision.”

Ravenjade’s father was in the Navy, so Cal Western honored her Chapter

35 benefits, providing a stipend for housing and books every semester.

At Cal State San Marcos, she developed relationships with students at Cal Western, so “I knew I would have community there, and that’s what sold it for me.” Unlike Robert, she did have to take on the standard law school debt, but she readily admits, “It was worth it!”

To the Last Frontier After 14 years of active duty, all in tropical locales — Guam, Hawaii, and the Middle East, among them — Robert was looking for a change of pace. As an avid mountaineer and outdoorsman, he knew that, one way or another, he would have to find his way north. So, almost as soon as he started law school, Robert began making calls to the State Department in Alaska and the Municipality of Anchorage, assessing their need for interns.

At the time, Ravenjade and Robert were study partners sharing a budding

romance, so they both decided to interview with the Alaska state department for the purposes of doing an externship there. Robert says, “They were incredibly welcoming. They were very vocal about how much they appreciated us even wanting to talk about coming there.” He notes that Alaska has a critical shortage of lawyers and, without a law school in the state, they need to either “import lawyers or export students and hope they come back.” Raven comments that “the clinical externship program at Cal Western is phenomenal. Ruth Briscoe is so helpful — any student who’s interested in doing an externship, she and her team know how to communicate with the firm, organize a course program, find ways for your professor to meet with your supervisor, and allow you to have community, even if you’re in Alaska!”

In the Land of the Midnight Sun Starting in the fall of their 3L year, now over 3000 miles away, Robert and Ravenjade found exactly what they were hoping for in Alaska. The Anchorage prosecutor’s office was eager to train them and put them immediately into service. “There’s something unique in Alaska called the Rule 44 permit, which allows you to go to court by yourself after you’ve done a few weeks of training with a supervising attorney,” says Ravenjade.

So, when they got on Zoom to meet with their externship cohort back in San Diego, they “always had something different to add.” Their classmates would talk about having excellent

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CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP SPOTLIGHT

mentors at high-quality firms, and Ravenjade and Robert would chime in about being by themselves in court every day, doing oral arguments and plea bargains, and handling the custody arraignment calendar.

Robert notes that, in Anchorage, “they find people that are worthwhile, and they want to hang on to them.

They noticed that we were picking up everything quickly.

We were good with research, with organization, and we were learning a lot, so they said, ‘Let’s figure out where you can fit best.’” For Robert, that meant the general trial prosecution unit, and DV prosecution for Ravenjade.

Ravenjade says that once her eyes were opened to the possibilities within criminal prosecution, “my whole life kind of resolved. I said, ‘I get to put abusers away?

I would love to do that.’”

Adjusting to Alaskan Culture Any significant geographical move comes with inherent joys and challenges — and the same could be said for Ravenjade and Robert in Alaska. They both rave about the natural beauty. Robert describes it as “Absolutely magnificent. There’s nothing like it. The mountain ranges, the snow, the wildlife. My Ring doorbell picks up black bears in the yard. You see moose all over the place.”

Ravenjade was similarly awed by the land and also by the governmental rights that are given to the Indigenous tribes in Alaska. The state is divided into 12 districts, each of which is its own corporation, of which tribal members are shareholders. Consequently, “Tribes make money off the land itself, and they also regulate resources, hunting, water. They regulate what you can do and where you can do it.” Following her fascination with this arrangement, Ravenjade did her externship research paper on the Indian Child Welfare Act, which integrates tribal council decisions into criminal custody cases.

Robert and Ravenjade were both pleased to find that Anchorage is not what you might assume, as remote as it is, although Robert does admit that “everything is 20 years behind” your average American city. “Every old-school car, like Ford Broncos and Chevy Tahoes and Mustangs — seems like they all just got craned, picked

up, and brought to Alaska.” There’s no Chick-fil-A but they do have Chipotle and a few California-style burrito places.

What they lack in quality of avocadoes, they make up for in diversity, especially with people from the Pacific Islands — Samoans, Tongans, Hawaiians, and Filipinos among them, in addition to a large military base, which makes Robert and Raven feel right at home.

Ravenjade, who is of Filipino descent, notes, however, that it was difficult adjusting to a criminal population made up primarily of “people who look like me.” Unlike San Diego, where criminal demographics are skewed but still more representative of a broader swatch of the American populace, in Alaska Ravenjade encountered a disproportionate number of Pacific Islanders being prosecuted, and Native Americans as well. Ravenjade admits that it was challenging feeling like she was prosecuting her own people and working with colleagues who were used to seeing and talking about the nonwhite population as the criminal element in society. Ravenjade was ultimately heartened by the fact that she could connect to defendants and approach them from a place of understanding, even if it was her job in the end to prosecute them.

The Future up North It’s been a whirlwind year for Ravenjade and Robert — finishing law school, taking and passing the bar, moving to Alaska, and starting in their official capacities in the Anchorage DA’s office as assistant municipal prosecutors.

The best part of all is that they just got married.

Looking forward, they are eager to continue doing the fulfilling work they’ve been doing, having transitioned smoothly from interns to employees. They are enthusiastic about inviting current and future Cal Western students to Alaska, showing them around, dispelling some myths, and giving them the same opportunity they had for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

They do recommend coming in summer, though — when the sun comes out!

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ALUMNI CHAT

Habib Hasbini, LLM ’02 and JD ’09 FIRST GENERATION SCHOLARSHIP FUND ALUM

I

n recognition of this year’s establishment of a First-Generation Scholarship Fund, we wanted to share a Q&A with one of

our local first-generation alums, Habib Hasbini, LLM ’02 and JD ’09. Habib initially came from Lebanon to Cal Western on a student visa in 2003, and today he runs his own bustling employment and immigration firm in downtown San Diego. He sat down with us to share some of the highlights of his CWSL experience and how they’ve shaped his career.

Can you talk about your experience at Cal Western? Any fond memories?

It was a great experience. Great professors. They all expected the best from us, so we needed to perform at the highest level. I really cherished being there because they wanted to open the doors to opportunity for me. Looking back, I really appreciate the emphasis they put on passing the bar, because they wanted to make sure we succeeded. And as an immigrant, Cal Western was very welcoming. It was an environment of acceptance for all cultures.

I think it’s the best school in San Diego in terms of embracing diversity.

I still remember the days of organizing study groups at the library and getting to know the security guards really well because they would always kick me out at midnight. I miss that.

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ALUMNI CHAT

What got you interested in employment law?

My first job out of law school was as an analyst for Sullivan & Christiani, and I realized how important employment lawyers are in helping enforce employees’ rights. And if you are an immigrant, you get first-hand exposure to some of the flaws in the system. Being in this field felt like a good opportunity to fix some of those flaws and to work with clients from different backgrounds who often get turned away by lawyers. It felt good to be able to take on those clients and try to help get them justice.

Can you talk about some of the flaws in the system that you encounter?

The main flaw is really how high the burden of proof is on employees, because a lot of clients will come in with forms of hidden discrimination. They’re being treated differently because of national origin, race, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability. But it’s subtle. And the law makes it hard to prove it. You have to be able to show that a certain adverse action, like termination or retaliation or demotion, was substantially motivated by this person’s difference.

Did you experience discrimination yourself?

Yes, of course. But I also experienced the exact opposite. My first employer — an Irish American guy — actually sponsored me for my work visa and then eventually for my green card. Without him, I wouldn’t be here today. He allowed me to stay with his family. And he incurred the financial burden of lawyers fees and all the extra costs to make sure I could stay in the country legally and work.

My plan had been to go back to Lebanon but I really liked it here. I liked the opportunities. And I thought, I haven’t achieved enough to go back. So, let me at least become an attorney in California, practice for a few years, and then decide what I want to do. And here I am, 12 years later.

What led you to start your own firm?

What are some of the joys and challenges of your legal career?

After I got my green card, I felt ready to work on my own. I wanted to have more control of my hours and schedule. I thought I could learn more being independent. And you do, you learn new things every day. It was intimidating, but when you’re young and have no family, you think, I have nothing to lose, so it’s worth a try. And I’m glad that I did.

I love the clients I get to work with. I love working with internationals who are going through a similar process to what I went through. Being independent is challenging — I had to work on marketing and building my own clientele. It’s not easy, but you have to believe in yourself.

Did you know that California Western has a scholarship fund to support first-generation students?

Learn more about this scholarship and how you can support here

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CALIFORNIA WESTERN’S CLINICS

NEW MEDIA RIGHTS New Media Rights has been busy this year getting back out into our local community!

In February, student fellow Emily Kirschenheuter ’24 and Assistant Director Erika Lee ’17 spoke to innovators at the REC Innovation Lab at Miramar College in February. It was the first workshop to take place in the REC Lab’s new space. In May, they spoke with students in the Small Business Planning class at the San Diego College of Continuing Education. We joined their final class virtually to talk about common legal issues that startups and new businesses should be thinking about in the early stages, like copyright and contract issues.

In April, Executive Director Art Neill and Assistant Director Erika Lee spoke to the Music Production class at San Diego City College about copyright law issues for musicians.

In March, New Media Rights went to March Mingle, which was hosted at the Prado in Balboa Park.

March Mingle is the largest annual gathering of San Diego’s tech community, and NMR students had an opportunity to mix and mingle with local startups and tech entrepreneurs.

New Media Rights was also highlighted in the 2022 AALS Law Student Pro Bono Hours survey, which measures the number of hours of supervised legal services that students perform through pro bono efforts, legal clinics, and other public service projects.

The New Media Rights team at March Mingle! From left to right: James Thomas ’24, Cristina Meisterling ’24, Morgan Bell ’24, Erika Lee ’17.

On September 5 and 7, New Media Rights staff and students spoke at the Explore Local Content Project orientation workshops at KPBS, our local PBS station here in San Diego. KPBS Explore is a program established to help provide more local programming for San Diego audiences. Most of the programs that have been part of the Explore program are created by local San Diego producers who then have their programs broadcast or distributed via KPBS. We spoke to the workshop participants about legal issues that they should be thinking about throughout the film/ television/podcast production lifecycle of their projects.

We’re also excited to announce the launch of our brand-new merchandise collection!

You can now show your support by sporting an NMR T-shirt or hoodie. NMR merchandise is available via the CWSL online store.

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CALIFORNIA WESTERN’S CLINICS

COMMUNITY LAW PROJECT While the majority of the Community Law Project services are offered through oneor two-time meetings between clients and our law students, every so often we have an opportunity to help someone in a more meaningful and long-term way.

“Jim”, who first came to our clinic in July of 2022, was one of those individuals.

Jim stopped by the Third Avenue Charitable Organization (TACO) to receive a hot meal. While eating his meal, he saw that the Community Law Project was also on site to help individuals with legal questions. Jim had been experiencing homelessness for a number of years. He had recently received a letter from the state controller’s office stating he had unclaimed financial property in the form of a forgotten CD valued at approximately $2,000. He was excited to find out how he could retrieve this money but did not know where to start.

Jim met with Community Law Project student, Sara Berry ’23. Sara worked with Jim to ultimately succeed in getting all the documentation submitted so Jim could get the money owed. After several

Attorney Jack Dailey, Sara Berry ’23, and client, Jim.

months, in February of 2023 Jim’s application was approved and a check was issued. Understanding that this influx of money could affect Jim’s public benefits, Jim and Sara together met with a public benefits attorney. The attorney helped Jim understand how he could best utilize the funds to maximize his income and, ideally, help him get off the streets. While the amount of money that Jim received might not be significant to many, for Jim it could mean that he could pay a security

deposit and stabilize his housing conditions. During their last meeting, Jim thanked Sara personally for all her help and expressed to her that her work at CLP provided him with a “beacon of light.” For Sara, this was one of the most impactful and memorable experiences she had in her three years at California Western School of Law. Jim’s consistent appreciation at every meeting over the course of nearly a year reminded her of her passion to help people that inspired her to apply for law school in the first place.

CLP CLOSER LOOK:

SUMMER POP-UP CLINICS During the past two years, CLP has partnered with organizations throughout San Diego County to bring our services to organizations outside of our traditional clinic sites in the form of pop-up clinics.

This summer we partnered with five organizations for these one-time clinics, including Goodwill and Serving Seniors among others, to bring our services to community members that might not be able to easily access our regular clinic sites. Our students traveled to San Ysidro, Chula Vista, and Ocean Beach to meet clients where they are and provide much-needed services.

We are thrilled to continue to live up to our motto and be of service to the greater San Diego community.

Pop-up clinic in partnership with Goodwill Industries in San Ysidro.

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CALIFORNIA WESTERN’S CLINICS

CALIFORNA INNOCENCE PROJECT

Gerardo Cabanillas E XO N E R AT E D

Gerardo spent 28 years in prison for a crime someone else committed. He was convicted at the age of 18 of rape and kidnapping based on a coerced confession and a faulty identification procedure. DNA testing has now fully excluded Gerardo and proven his innocence and the prosecutor’s office is busy trying to find the real perpetrators. On September 21, 2023, the Honorable William C. Ryan, with the prosecution’s

Photo Credit: Laurence Colletti, Legal Talk Network

agreement, officially vacated Gerardo’s convictions, found him factually innocent, and ordered his record to be cleared.

Gerardo’s exoneration was a team effort involving the prosecutor’s office working alongside CIP lawyers Alissa Bjerkhoel, Audrey McGinn, Raquel Cohen, Claudia Salinas, Alex Simpson, and Justin Brooks. Former CIP students Camille Cruz, Dakota Hickingbottom, Daisy Mendez, Alexis Holbrook, and Michaela Baker also worked on the case.

Student Michaela Baker, who put countless hours into the case during her time in the CIP clinic, walked Gerardo out of prison along with his lawyers. She recalls, “watching Gerardo walk out of prison has been one of the most impactful moments of my life. I came to California Western School of Law because of the California Innocence Project. I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life. I’ve been honored to be a clinical student and even more honored to have worked on Gerardo’s case.”

CIP’s founder and long-time Director, Justin Brooks, has left CWSL (and CIP) to take a position at a different law school where he will be teaching and continuing his justice and innocence work in Latin America. Alissa Bjerkhoel ’08 has been appointed interim director while CWSL searches for a permanent director.

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CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW

CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE The Career and Professional Development Office is moving into the fall 2023 trimester with a running start, with updates to California Western School of Law’s fall on-campus interview schedule, 1L initial meetings with the CPDO, and a host of professional development lunchtime programs we have planned this fall.

With legal recruiting cycles occurring earlier than ever, California Western’s fall On-Campus-Interviewing (OCI) recruiting program is already well underway.

In addition to the CPDO’s currently running fall recruiting OCI, California Western students have already participated in a summer OCI round targeting large law firms, a late summer Public

Interest OCI week that featured over a dozen government agencies hiring for spring and summer 2024, and a currently running fall recruiting OCI offering even more opportunities for California Western students and recent graduates.

The CPDO regularly assists our CWSL alumni who are job seeking or in career transitions. Remember that our alumni enjoy lifetime privileges to CPDO services, including one-on-one counseling meetings to discuss job search strategies, application document reviews, mock interviews, networking leads, and more.

Please email us at

career_services @cwsl.edu if you think we can assist you with your career service needs!

In July 2023, California Western’s Career and Professional Development Office, in conjunction with Professor Liam Vavasour ’14, the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, and Student and Diversity Services, organized a lunch event to show support for our July bar exam takers. The attendees were given a boost of motivation as they were cheered on, reflecting on the law school’s dedication to their success in tackling the bar exam.

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ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT

Dear California Western Alumni Community, I am privileged to have this opportunity to welcome you to our fall Alumni Newsletter and share a bit about my vision for the Alumni Association this school year.

One of the most important questions any organization can ask itself is “Why?” So, why do we have an Alumni Association? Last year, the Alumni Association rewrote its Mission Statement to clarify our answer to this question and the answer is simple: to make our school and alumni community better.

This simple goal opens infinite opportunities for alumni to help the school and each other through the Alumni Association. For example, this year we are focusing on three goals. First, increasing the number of recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award, so that we publicly recognize the achievements made by so many of our alumni. These awards are well deserved and will help foster a culture of excellence amongst our alumni. Next, creating a partnership between the Alumni Association and the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program to increase pro bono service by

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CWSL alumni, particularly newer alumni looking for courtroom experience. And finally, working with Dean Scott and her leadership team to support CWSL bar takers, so they can focus exclusively on studying for the bar. Our goal is to help increase the bar passage rate at a time when our students really need it.

The Alumni Association offers every alumnus the opportunity to engage with the school and the alumni community to make it better. If you can help us do just one thing to make the alumni community better, we would like you to join us. Please consider applying to join the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Elections occur in the spring, and there are several openings every year. Feel free to contact me with any questions at davidpfinn@gmail.com. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy our newsletter. I look forward to seeing you at an alumni event in the future.

Thank you, David P. Finn ’06, Alumni Board President

Current Alumni Board of Directors Devon Roepcke ’09, Immediate Past President Jordan Enright ’16, Vice President Taylor Morrison ’17, Secretary Chris Maxwell ’75 The Honorable Larry Winthrop ’77 The Honorable Craig Blakey ’79 Gary Rudolph ’81 Professor Bobbie Thyfault ’84 Bill Gersten ’90 Thomas Matthews ’92 Michael Pontrelli ’93 Todd Haas ’97 Elizabeth Brown ’99 Marival Zialcita ’02 Rachel James ’05 Leslie MacKay ’07 Timothy McNutt ’09 Julie Molteni ’09 Agustin Pena ’12 J. Clayton Carr ’13 Michael Hernandez ’13 Joseph Kagan ’15 Erik Weber ’15 Leah Gonzales ’16 Zachary Avina ’18 Cheryl Kozdrey ’18 Rio Schwarting ’18 Tyler Reddy ’19 Hana Maazaoui Willard ’19

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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD SPOTLIGHT

CHRIS ANN MAXWELL ’75

Chris Ann Maxwell ’75 PRIMARY AREA OF PRACTICE: ENTERTAINMENT AND BUSINESS LAW “The education I received at California Western really served me well over the last 48 years.”

Chris has been practicing since 1976. During her career, she has served as counsel for several major motion picture studios, including Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, MGM, and Columbia Pictures. She is currently practicing at the talent firm Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light LLP. When Chris started her education at California Western, the campus was located in Point Loma.

However, after her 1L year, the campus moved to its current downtown location. At that time, 350 Cedar Street was a performing arts school.

Chris was one of a dozen students that helped convert the School of Performing Arts into the

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law school. Between her 1L and 2L years, she helped the school with its transition by tearing up dance floors and painting the new building.

This helped solidify her bond with the school.

When asked about her time at California Western, Chris responded by noting that “The education I received at California Western really served me well over the last 48 years.”

The kinship Chris developed with California Western continues to this day. In addition to her role as a Board Member of the Alumni Board of Directors, Chris is also on the Events Committee for the Alumni Association. She previously served on the Council of Visitors, which acted as an informal advisory committee to the school’s Board of Trustees.

If you’re interested in joining an Alumni Association Committee, please email alumni@cwsl.edu for more information.

FACULTY UPDATES

Faculty Updates Professor William Aceves Professor William Aceves recently served as amicus counsel on behalf of several legal scholars in cases filed in the U.S. Supreme Court and the California Supreme Court. He also prepared expert declarations on behalf of asylum applicants addressing international human rights standards. His most recent scholarship includes Shadow Amendments, 60 HARV. J. LEG. 27 (2023), The Problem with Dobbs and the Rule of Legality, 111 GEO. L.J. ONLINE 75 (2022), and On the Meaning of Color and the End of White(ness), 17 HARV. L. & POL’Y REV. 79 (2022).

Professor Susan Bisom-Rapp

Professor James Cooper This year, Professor Cooper published several articles in prominent journals, including “Intellectual Property Piracy in the Time of the Metaverse” in Volume 63:3 of IDEA, the Law Review of the Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property, as well as “The Digital Dollar’s Long and Winding Road,” in the July/August issue of Journal of Digital Assets.

Professor Cooper was invited to speak at WhatNext. Law at Novo University in Lisbon, Portugal; at the Franklin Pierce Center at the University of New Hampshire; and at the First Meeting on Corporate Integrity and Global Legal Regulation at FACAMP in Campinas, Brazil. A number of his opinion pieces appeared in The Hill, The Messenger, SD Union Tribune, and on Law.com. He made additional presentations in Israel, Paris, and the UAE, and he appeared on numerous podcasts, including TechXchange for the Singapore government.

Susan Bisom-Rapp completed her term as vice dean and returned to the full-time faculty.

On August 1, she was appointed the Dean Steven R. Smith Professor of Law. She recently delivered the 2023 Malcolm Sergeant Memorial Lecture at Middlesex University, London (UK).

Her lecture was titled “Older Women Workers, the Pandemic, Employment Discrimination, and Lifetime Disadvantage.” She also participated in a conference at the University of Modena (Italy) focused on “Environmental Regulation and the Quality of Work: the Role of Law.” Professor Bisom-Rapp completed two book chapters.

The firstis “Older Women Workers, the Pandemic, Employment Discrimination, and Lifetime Disadvantage, in Research Handbook of Law, Society and Ageing (Sue Westwood and Nancy Knauer, editors, Edward Elgar, forthcoming 2024).

The second is “Regulatory Choices and Disputes in the Fight Against COVID-19 Infections in the Workplace: A Comparison Between the Italian and US Contexts, in Work Beyond the Pandemic: A Human-Centered Approach (with Marco Peruzzi) (Edoardo Ales and Iacopo Senatori, editors, Palgrave Macmillan, forthcoming 2024).

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FACULTY UPDATES

Professor Pooja R. Dadhania Professor Dadhania had two articles published: “State Responsibility for Forced Migration” in the Boston College Law Review and “Gender-Based Religious Persecution” in the Minnesota Law Review. Professor Dadhania’s scholarship seeks to reframe understandings of asylum law in order to better protect the rights of forced migrants and gender-based violence survivors

Professor Shawn Fields Professor Fields was the keynote speaker at Indiana University McKinney School of Law for a symposium sponsored by the Program on Law and State Government titled “Moving Towards Liberty: The Intersection of Transportation and Equity.”

Fields drew upon his past scholarship to highlight the need to decouple armed police from most motor vehicle regulations and enforcement. The symposium took place on September 22, 2023.

Professor Nancy Marcus Professor Marcus has become the first legal skills professor to be promoted to associate professor through California Western’s unitary tenure track. She was also appointed to the Chosen Family Law Center Board of Directors this year. Her scholarship on unconstitutional riot laws was published this spring in American Criminal Law Review and her next article will be published by Seton Hall Law Review. She gave presentations this year on incorporating diversity issues into teaching, and at the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association Conference led the Law Professor Caucus and BiLaw Caucus while also cofacilitating the LGBTQ+ Student Congress. Her most recent law review article, “When ‘Riot’ Is in the Eye of the Beholder: The Critical Need for Constitutional Clarity in Riot Laws,” was published by American Criminal Law Review this spring.

Professor Erin Sheley Professor Sheley’s article, “Self-Defense and Political Rage,” is forthcoming in the Texas A&M Law Review. Her article “The Purloined Debtor: Edgar Allan Poe’s Bankruptcy in Law and Letters,” coauthored with Prof. Zvi Rosen, is forthcoming in the Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities.

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Professor Lisa Shaw Roy Professor Lisa Shaw Roy joined the California Western faculty this fall.

Professor Roy’s recent article, “The Establishment Clause, Civil Rights, and the Accommodationist Path Forward,” was published in the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal as part of its symposium titled “Religious Liberty at a Historic Crossroads: An Examination of the American Bedrock Principle and its Unsettled Future.” This October, Roy will present a paper as part of the Wayne Law Review Symposium on “The Evolution of Religious Liberty.” Also in October, Roy will appear on a panel of CWSL faculty to discuss the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming 2023 term.

Professor Ken Klein Professor Klein placed a paper and gave a national presentation on social inflation (the latest iteration of a supposed litigation crisis). I Professor Klein placed a paper and gave a national presentation of data explaining why and how frequently homeowners are unintentionally underinsured and what to do about it.

VISITING PROFESSOR

Professor Iacopo Senatori Professor Senatori visited the California Western School of Law campus for two-and-a-half weeks this fall, during which time he gave a guest lecture in Torts II, met with members of the International Law Society and the Employment and Labor Law Society, and began research for a collaborative project with our own Professor Susan Bisom-Rapp.

The two professors are longtime collaborators, Professor Bisom-Rapp having visited, lectured, and researched at the University of Modena and Reggio

Emilia in Italy. Professor Senatori’s visit marked a rare occasion when an international scholar visited the Cal Western campus. Over the course of the next year, Professors Senatori and Bisom-Rapp aim to explore the ways in which the legal and political systems in Italy and the U.S. are dissimilar but nonetheless experience similar outcomes for women workers, e.g., occupational segregation, pay inequality, implicit and explicit bias and stereotyping, and gender-based harassment.

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FACULTY UPDATES

VISITING PROFESSOR

VISITING PROFESSOR

Professor David King Professor King is teaching the required Professional Responsibility course to our second-year law students. He comes to California Western most recently after spending several years as an associate clinical professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

Upon graduating from Loyola Law School, Professor King practiced municipal law, representing several cities throughout Los Angeles County. Professor King previously served as an Executive Committee member of the State Bar of California, Public Law Section, and served as an editor of the Public Law Journal. He also served as a chapter editor of The California Municipal Law Handbook, which is edited annually by the City Attorneys Department of the League of California Cities. Most recently, Professor King was Of Counsel with the law firm of Best Best & Krieger, LLP.

Scholar in Residence Professor Priscilla Ocen Professor Priscilla is a professor of law at Loyola Law School, where she teaches criminal procedure; reproductive justice; and a seminar on race, gender, and the law. Her work explores the ways in which the intersection of race, gender, and class make women of color vulnerable to various forms of violence and criminalization. Professor Ocen is teaching a short seminar on Reproductive Justice at California Western and will be speaking at several events on campus over the coming weeks. Prior to her appointment at Loyola, Ocen was a Critical Race Studies Fellow at UCLA School of Law, where she designed and taught a seminar on mass incarceration and gender.

VISITING PROFESSOR

Professor Anders Kaye Professor Kaye is a criminal law scholar whose current research explores how we come to see some people as criminals and how we justify our treatment of such people. He comes to California Western most recently after serving for several years as a visiting professor at UCI Law. He will be teaching criminal law. After graduating from the University of Chicago Law School, Professor Kaye completed a judicial clerkship with Judge A. Wallace Tashima on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He then served as an associate appellate

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counsel for the Criminal Appeals Bureau of The Legal Aid Society of New York, where he represented defendants convicted of crimes ranging from pick-pocketing to murder, and where he served as an alternate vice-president for the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, a union affiliated with the UAW. He was also a consulting attorney for the Capital Defender’s Office of New York.

CLASS NOTES

To include your professional or personal news in a future online newsletter, please email alumni@cwsl.edu.

Michael C. Williams ’79—The United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced the retirement of Michael C. Williams. Mr. Williams has served as chief deputy of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin for the past 32 years.

Mr. Williams was awarded the 2018 Nathan A. Fishbach Founder’s Award, given out by the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association to an individual whose outstanding contributions to the legal profession, collegiality, skills at fostering bench-bar relations, energy, and enthusiasm for the practice of law have made a positive impact on the activities of the bar association and the practice of law in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Prior to his position as chief deputy, Mr. Williams was a staff attorney with the Department of Justice, United States Trustee’s Office; an Estate Administrator with the United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin; an attorney with Farm House Foods Corporation; an associate with Whyte & Hirschboeck, S.C. (now known as Husch Blackwell LLP), and he began his legal career as a law cerk to Federal Bankruptcy Judge Howard W. Hilgendorf.

Mr. Williams spent over 41 years serving the federal judiciary.

Andrew M. Klimenko ‘85—Andrew became partner at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani’s San Francisco office. He works in the product and general liability, commercial litigation, and trial practice groups, having previously defended and prosecuted commercial claims, breach of contract, personal injury and wrongful death, real estate, and professional error and omissions liability claims. Andrew has completed more than 55 jury trials and numerous binding arbitrations, with a success rate of better than 90 percent.

Lt Col (Ret) Terry Cook ‘86, Karen Cook ‘86, Helen (Lucky) Zebel ‘86, Lisa Gervase ‘86, and Margie (Slusher) Lehrman ‘86—who live in MD, CA, AZ, and VA, respectively, had a mini reunion in July 2023 in Annapolis, MD, hosted by Margie and Robert Lehrman on their beautiful boat the “Panacee”. Terry Cook also hosted the group on a private tour of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. They are blessed to have maintained great friendships for 40 years, having met at CWSL in 1983. arbitrations, with a success rate of better than 90 percent.

Thomas C. Knego ‘86—Thomas recently retired after a long career in the field of healthcare law. Knego was a partner and trial lawyer in a Los Angeles law firm where he represented healthcare providers of all types in medical malpractice litigation.

He later served as Senior General Counsel for United Healthcare and Anthem. Thomas is now an adjunct professor at California State University Long Beach where he has taught Healthcare Law for several years. Thomas also serves as President of the CSULB Advisory Board where among other things he leads their Mentoring and Scholarship Programs and coaches the university’s healthcare competition teams. Thomas also serves on various nonprofit boards, is an appointed arbitrator and mediator for the State Bar of California and in his spare time continues to umpire youth baseball games throughout the State of California. Thomas lives in Coto de Caza, CA with his wife and two sons.

David K. Silverberg ’86—After being in practice with various partners since leaving San Diego in 1994, David opened a solo practice at a new Buffalo suburban location. David continues to have a general practice with an emphasis on civil matters including litigation. He represents both investors and registered representatives in the financial industry and many small to mid-sized business owners.

The Honorable Marlene Caride ‘90—The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously moved the nomination of Marlene Caride to be a judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey. She was serving as the head of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, the first Hispanic to do so.

Frank P. Carrubba ‘91—Frank was hired as chief legal officer for Sentinel Resource Group (SRG), a security risk, intelligence and investigations firm. Having decades of experience and expertise “with intelligence data-driven investigations,” SRG’s COO said Carrubba “will be highly valued by our clients, particularly with our work in threat assessments and workplace violence risk.”

Beth B. Miller ‘93—Fox Rothschild LLP is pleased to announce that Beth has been elevated to partner at the Wilmington, Delaware office. Beth has practiced for more than 20 years in the areas of federal, state and local taxation, estate planning and administration. She assists clients in developing customized estate plans, including as appropriate, trusts, limited liability companies and life insurance planning. Her experience includes trust decanting, trust merging and tax-favored strategies such as GRATs, QPRTs, charitable trusts and donor-advised funds.

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CLASS NOTES

Brian D. Erickson ‘95—Brian has had the privilege of serving victims, their families and the People of the State of California as a deputy district attorney and deputy city attorney for over 28 years. He is running for San Diego Superior Court Judge in March 2024. Brian is dedicated to ensuring public safety, seeking truth and equal access to justice for all.

Steven M. Sweat ‘95—Forbes Advisor named Steven one of the Best Dog Bite Lawyers in Los Angeles. With over 25 years of experience in personal injury law, Steven’s firm has secured numerous six- and seven-figure verdicts in auto accident, premises liability, and assault cases, as well as a recent $1.1 million dog bite case that involved two years of litigation and a successful appeal. As a result of his acumen and rigorous work on behalf of his clients, Steven has been named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and he has been rated as a Super Lawyer every year since 2012, among a number of other accolades. Steven is also a member of the American Association for Justice and of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Brenda N. Barrera ‘96—The San Diego Business Journal named Brenda as a 2023 Woman of Influence in the Law. She currently serves as director of operations and legal counsel for J/PR, having successfully negotiated more than 300 contracts in 2022 alone.

The Honorable Enrique Guerrero ‘96—Enrique Guerrero, of Riverside County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. He has served as a Deputy District Attorney at the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office since 1999. Guerrero was a contract attorney at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 1998.

Jerrilyn T. Malana ‘98—The San Diego Business Journal named Jerrilyn as a 2023 Woman of Influence in the Law. She is the Chief Deputy District Attorney, HR at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. Additionally, she chairs the California Lawyers Association’s Civic Engagement & Outreach Committee. In 2022 she served as Chair of UC San Diego Chancellor’s Associates, which raises funds for first generation and underserved students. Last year, she was also inducted into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame as a “Trailblazer” and was named a “Trailblazer” by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

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Jenny L. Doling ‘00—Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court has appointed Jenny to serve a three-year term on the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules. She’s a Certified State Bar Bankruptcy Specialist. She serves as the Secretary of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and as the Vice President of the San Diego Bankruptcy Forum. She is widely respected for her expertise in the field and her commitment to helping clients navigate complex legal matters. Also, The San Diego Business Journal named Jenny as a 2023 Woman of Influence in the Law. Stacey A. Kartchner ‘02—The San Diego Business Journal named Stacey as a 2023 Woman of Influence in the Law. She is senior counsel at Klinedinst, PC, where she specializes in criminal defense and professional liability cases. Stacey serves on the San Diego County Bar Association board of directors and will become president of the organization in 2024. She is also a chairperson of the San Diego Criminal Justice Memorial Committee.

Maria F. Kelly ‘03—Maria was selected as a Finalist for the California’s Street Fighter of the Year and is a winner of San Diego’s Streetfighter of the Year for the case, Fuller v. Fox, in which she mounted a dogged fight to recoup all of the available insurance money for her client, decorated U.S. Navy SEAL Jonathan Fuller, who’d been suffering from debilitating head and neck pain after a non-military rear-end crash. While the defense argued that his injuries were military related, Maria pursued the truth—gathering a team of experts and confidential testimony from fellow SEALs between deployments, and successfully proving that Jonathan’s injuries were caused by the crash and had forced him to retire from the Navy. Maria also repeatedly refused mediation, believing that Jonathan deserved “every single penny” to protect his well-being.

Brian S. Kim ‘04—Brian is rated one of the “5 Best Constitutional Law Attorneys” in Honolulu, HI. As a former deputy prosecuting attorney for the city and county of Honolulu, attorney Brian has knowledge of the opposing side of the Hawaii criminal justice system. Brian is described as “a talented litigator who defends clients’ rights in both criminal and civil courts.”

Lauren I. Symington ’04—Lauren has joined the law firm Lewis Roca in Phoenix as the firm’s first chief talent officer. In her role, Lauren is responsible for leading the firm’s recruiting and professional development strategies, overseeing the recruitment, retention, professional development, and advancement of lawyers.

CLASS NOTES

Andrew R. Chivinski ‘05—Andrew was named one of the “Best Truck Accident Lawyers in San Diego” by Forbes. Andrew is an effective lawyer in part because he knows the tactics that insurance companies use—because he used to work for them. After eight years in insurance defense, he moved over to personal injury to defend people instead of companies.

Joy M. Sidhwa ‘06—The San Diego Business Journal named Joy as a 2023 Woman of Influence in the Law. She is a senior counsel at MoginRubin LLP, leading the discovery team in nationwide class actions in antitrust enforcement and other complex litigation. She has been on the front lines of discovery matters against some of the leading technology and pharmaceutical companies in the world. Joy has also served on the boards of the Filipino-American Lawyers of San Diego and the Women of Color in Law of San Diego.

Kristi M. Blackwell ‘07—The San Diego Business Journal named Kristi as a 2023 Woman of Influence in the Law. In 2022, she was promoted to California Regional Managing Partner at Tyson & Mendes, where she has proven herself in high-profile cases involving some of the biggest names in retail, restaurants, and hospitals. Kristi also taught case handling, trial strategy, and client service as a “professor” in Tyson & Mendes’s internal education program.

Janice S. Walshok ‘08—The San Diego Business Journal named Janice as a 2023 Woman of Influence in the Law. She is a shareholder at Pettit Kohn and is the cofounder and co-chair of their committee on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Janice focuses her practice on personal injury-defense and transportation including wrongful death, product liability and insurance bad faith. She has successfully tried several jury trials and has argued before the 2nd District Court of Appeal.

Yasmine Djawadian ‘09—The San Diego Business Journal named Yasmine as a 2023 Woman of Influence in the Law. She is the founder of the Law Offices of Yasmine Djawadian APC. Her office has a proven track record of more than $1 billion in recovered damages, settlements, and verdicts in personal injury cases. A portion of her firm’s profits is dedicated to nonprofit organizations that promote justice, including the California Innocence Project.

Julie O. Wolff ‘10—Julie became an associate with Genesis Family Law. She will still be practicing juvenile dependency, assisted reproduction, mediation, and everything else family law. Julie began her legal career as a juvenile dependency, that experience taught her how to be a strong and compassionate attorney, both in the courtroom and out. She spent nearly five years working full-time for dependency parents and children.

Brooke T. Barnes ‘11—Snell & Wilmer is pleased to welcome labor and employment partner Brook to the firm’s growing San Diego office. Brooke counsels and represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment litigation including claims for improper wage deductions, failure to pay wages, failure to pay overtime wages, failure to provide meal periods and rest breaks, misclassification of employees, inaccurate wage statements, commission calculations, PAGA claims, class actions, wrongful termination, and retaliatory and discriminatory employment actions.

Tara R. Burd ‘11—Tara was chosen as the new chair of the California Lawyers Association (CLA). She currently serves as senior counsel at Klindinst PC and is a State Bar of California Certified Specialist in estate planning, trust & probate law, with extensive probate and trust litigation experience.

The Honorable Mary A. Vasquez ‘11—Mary Vasquez, of Fresno County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Fresno County Superior Court. Mary has served as a deputy public defender at the Fresno County Public Defender’s Office since 2013, currently serving as chief defense attorney. She was an associate at Walters and Moshrefi from 2012 to 2013.

Lindsay C. David ‘12—Lindsay became partner at Procopio’s award-winning labor and employment law practice. She has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star since 2020 for her expertise in representing companies from startups to Fortune 500 companies in all types of state and federal employment litigation.

Travis Jang-Busby ’12—Travis has joined Blank Rome LLP’s Orange County and Los Angeles offices as a partner in the labor & employment practice group. Travis will represent a wide range of companies in labor and employment and commercial litigation. In addition to his litigation practice, Travis devotes a large portion of his practice to representing employers in class action cases and matters arising under the PAGA. Parisima Roshanzamir ‘12—The San Diego Business Journal named Parisima as a 2023 Woman of Influence in the Law. She is a serious injury trial attorney at Jassim Law, fighting against large corporations and insurance companies to achieve full justice for her clients. She has secured multiple multi-million-dollar recoveries, including one case in 2022 in which she obtained a $9 million settlement on behalf of her clients.

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CLASS NOTES

Julie Marie K. Cepeda ‘13—The San Diego Business Journal named Julie as a 2023 Woman of Influence in the Law. In 2022, she started a new position as managing attorney at Rigney Cepeda, a subsidiary of Cepeda Family Law, A.P.C., where she is putting her extensive experience in private mediation and contested litigation to work handling simple paternity cases, complex divorces, custody and visitation, as well as domestic violence. Julie is also a member of the diversity and community service committees of the San Diego Lawyers Club.

Alyshia K. Lord ‘15—Alyshia was hired by Gomez Trial Attorneys as a specialist in personal injury and premises liability cases.

With extensive experience advocating for victims of abuse and helping clients obtain settlements, she now represents clients injured in traffic collisions and slip-and-fall incidents.

Tarina Mand ‘16—Tarina received the outstanding service by a new lawyer award, given to a lawyer who, during their first seven years in practice, has demonstrated a significant commitment to serving the legal profession, the justice system, or the SDCBA through legal education, mentoring, or community service.

Charlotte S. Barone ’17—Charlotte has joined Gomez Trial Attorneys in their San Diego office. Charlotte has represented clients in a variety of cases, ranging from wrongful death to products liability, government tort claims, slip and fall, trip and fall, and car and motorcycle accidents. Charlotte zealously advocates for her clients throughout the litigation process and all the way through trial, and she has recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.

Emiliza P. San Diego ‘15—Emiliza has been made senior associate at Hoover Krepelka, LLP. She has continuously been recognized by her peers and clients for her excellence in family law. Emiliza earned the Avvo Client’s Choice Award for divorce/ family law in 2021.

IN MEMORIAM The Honorable Michael S. Goodman ‘66

Kevin F. Kline ‘80

J. Darrell Palmer ’86

The Honorable Ralph W. Wyatt ‘74

Stephen G. Cline, Jr. ‘93

Audrey E. Chue ‘18

We wish to extend a sincere apology to Pari H. Granum ’09, partner at Dummit, Buchholz & Trapp, whose name was misspelled in the spring newsletter.

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