California Western School of Law, Alumni Newsletter Spring 2023

ALUMNI WEEKEND

A celebration for all class years!

Dear Members of the California Western Community,

Spring has finally come to San Diego! After an unprecedented rainy season, Southern California is ready to blossom. Regional, national, and global events constantly remind us of the paramount importance of the role CWSL plays in preparing a new generation of lawyers, academics, and advocates committed to democratic rule of law and the dogged pursuit of justice.

What you will find in this newsletter is evidence of just how strong we are, as an institution of academic excellence and as a contributing member of the legal community. As stated by one of our alumni, recently elevated to partner, “You don’t know what you don’t know… it is called the practice of law for a reason, so I do my best to always come in with an attitude of, ‘What am I going to learn today?’” It is this kind of mentality that makes California Western alumni effective at making change for the better.

In these pages you will find updates about our nationally-renowned clinics– the Community Law Project, the California Innocence Project, and the New Media Rights program– how each not only prepares its students but puts them into direct service of the public. You will learn, unsurprisingly, that our competitive advocacy programs continue to be successful, producing winning teams every semester. We celebrate as well the success of symposia sponsored by our law journals. You will read interviews with our Dean of Students and Assistant Dean for Career and Professional Development, each helping to sharpen our mission execution.

And most importantly, you will find profiles of and interviews with alumni– some recent graduates, paving powerful new inroads in the profession, others decades into their work, now serving as philanthropists. We could not be better represented as an institution than we are by our alumni, whether they are working in intellectual property, cybersecurity, medical malpractice, or environmental protection, just to name a few. These stories provide inspiration for what is possible with a California Western education, how our students are empowered with the knowledge, skills, and experience to rise quickly in the field and set a standard for excellence.

I hope you will share my inspiration, and that you will join us for our alumni weekend, October 13, 2023.

All my best,

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

Similar to last year, the law school admissions landscape continues to be a challenging one. Nationally, the applicant pool is down 2.8% compared to last year and -14.3% from 2021. The Far West region is experiencing a decrease of 14.2% from last year and -21.4% from 2021. However, through extensive recruitment efforts and an enhanced marketing strategy, our pool of applicants has seen a modest increase of 1.2%. The quality of our applicants is also stronger as measured by LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA. This strengthening of the applicant pool has allowed us to extend 28% more offers than last year at this time.

Our first Preview Day (admitted student day) held on March 11th was a success. With the support of faculty, alumni and current students, attendance was strong and feedback from attendees has been very positive. We will hold a second event on May 6th, and we anticipate a similar rate of attendance. We hope to again have members of the Alumni community join us for lunch hour.

In conclusion, our admissions goal is to enroll an academically strong entering class that reflects our societal diversity. We hope that with your support, we will continue to not only meet but to exceed this goal.

T his strengthening of the applicant pool has allowed us to extend 28% more offers than last year at this ti me.

National Advocacy Champions for the Second Time in Three Years!

Alexandria Loveless (3L) and Sara Berry (3L) are the new ABA Negotiation National Champions and Arya Sadighian (3L) and Susanna Gonzales-McCaulley (3L) are on the team heading to the Mediation Nationals. The ADR students are coached by Dan Rawlins and alumni Michelle Kellogg ’20 and Francis Carlota ’21.

California Western student advocates have done it again! Our Advanced Dispute Resolution (ADR) Team has won the American Bar Association’s 2023 National Negotiation Competition in Chicago! This marks the second time in just three years that California Western has won the entire prestigious ABA competition and three years in a row that we have won our region. This is a remarkable feat when you consider that our team went against every top-ranked law school in the nation and came out on top!

Our ADR team isn’t done yet though: They have also recently won the regional ABA Mediation Competition and will advance to that national competition as well! All of this is a clear indication of our program’s strength in alternative dispute resolution and its ability to produce incredible negotiators and mediators who will graduate with these real-life skills.

The Appellate and Trial teams have also had continued success. At the recent UCLA Cybersecurity National Moot Court Competition, our appellate team was awarded 2nd place for oral advocacy among the 32 teams in the competition! This same team of 3L’s, Jonathan Kaldas and Brooke Miles, also advanced to the national round of the Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition after winning 1st Place and 2nd Best Brief in the regional event last fall. They were coached by alum Elijah Gaglio ’18 in both competitions. At the USD National Criminal Procedure Tournament in the fall, Connor Rathbun (3L) was also awarded 2nd best appellate oral advocate.

ADR Team - Susanna Gonzales-McCaulley ’23, Alexandria Loveless ‘23, Sara Berry ’23, and Arya Sadighian ‘23

Appellate Team - Brooke Miles ‘23 and Jonathan Kaldas ‘23

COMPETITIVE ADVOCACY PROGRAM

Below is a summary of their success from just 2022 to now:

2023

1st Place, National ChampionsABA Negotiation National Competition | ADR Team

1st Place, Regional Winner – ABA Mediation Regional Competition | ADR Team

2nd Best Oral Advocates Award – UCLA Cybersecurity National Competition | Appellate Team

Our team for The Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition recently won a second-place award for best memorials (briefs) at the national round of this prestigious competition! When considering this accomplishment, only the University of Denver scored higher. Which means their writing skills beat every California team present at the competition! This includes UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, and USD! The Jessup team members are Chelsey Barkley (3L), Maliat Chowdhury (2L), Alexander Gutterud (2L), Mariah Mantzke (2L), and Valerie Sigamani (2L). This was also Chelsey and Maliat’s second year participating on the Jessup Team. The team was coached by Professor Emerita Bobbie Thyfault ’84, Professor William Aceves, and alum Kate Clark ’10. Alumni Elijah Gaglio ’18 and Sahar Karimi ’18 also helped with coaching.

Last fall our trial team came in 2nd place at the San Diego ABTL Trial Competition and our student Bridget Hulbert (3L) was awarded best advocate of the entire competition. We also had a trial team return to the CACJ National Criminal Trial Advocacy Competition where they advanced past the preliminary rounds and finished 7th place out of the 28 law schools there from across the country.

Overall, The Competitive Advocacy Program (CAP) has been on quite a winning streak over the past several years. The impressive accomplishments achieved by our advocates and alumni coaches are a clear demonstration of their hard work and skills, especially in the face of ranked law schools across the country.

If you would like more info about CAP or want to learn more ways that you can support the advocacy students’ efforts, please feel free to reach out to our Advocacy Program Director Paul Parisi ’06 at PParisi@cwsl.edu.

2nd Place for Best Brief in Regional CompetitionJessup International Law Moot Court Competition Appellate Team

2022

1st Place, Regional Winner - ABA Negotiation Regional Competition | ADR Team

2nd Place – Tulane International Futbol Negotiation Competition | ADR Team

2nd Place – Southwestern Law School National Negotiation Tournament | ADR Team

2nd Best Oral Advocate Award - USD National Criminal Procedure Appellate Tournament | Appellate Team

1st Place, Regional Winner & 2nd Best Brief awarded – Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition Appellate Team

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

2nd Place and Best Advocate Award – San Diego ABTL Trial Competition | Trial Team

7th Place out of 28 teams - CACJ National Criminal Trial Advocacy Competition | Trial Team

Finalist - Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) Regional Competition | Trial Team

Finalist - AAJ Student Trial Advocacy Regional Competition | Trial Team

Connor Rathbun ’23

BLACK LAW STUDENT ASSOCIATION (BLSA)

California Western students continue to amaze with their perseverance, drive, and sense of community. These qualities were clearly evident to WRBLSA (Western Region Black Law Student Association) when they named California Western Black Law Student Association (BLSA) as the Western Region BLSA Chapter of the Year!

“It is an honor acknowledging our collaborative efforts and commitment to advocating for the betterment of our Black community. Thank you to Dean Sean Scott and the rest of the CWSL faculty and administration for your continuous support of us.”

Outgoing BLSA President Larryn Zeigler ‘22

For the application, Cal Western BLSA members created a heartfelt video and scrapbook. The students tell their BLSA story and how they engage with the legal community of Southern California.

BLSA members Jason Gant ‘23, Tariq Blake ‘23, and LeBrian Mays ’23

Richard “Rick” Gattis ’74

When Richard “Rick” Gattis ’74 was asked to serve as successor trustee for his longtime friend and client, James “Jim” R. Williams, Rick knew he was being entrusted with the obligation to “be a good steward,” honoring Jim’s legacy, in part, by supporting the needs of his San Diego community. To that end, Mr. Gattis has chosen to make the incredibly generous gift of $500,000 to support California Western’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, particularly aiding in the creation of a Scholar-in-Residence fund.

After graduating from Berkeley in 1966 with a degree in electrical engineering, Rick moved back home to LA to care for his ailing mother and younger brothers while working as a manager for Pacific Telephone. After five years, with a new and growing family, Rick quit his job at the Phone company, pulled up stakes, and moved to San Diego to enroll at the California Western School of Law. Soon after school started, he found the kind of practical, career-oriented mentorship he’d been seeking, “mentors,” he says, “without whom, I don’t know what I would have done.” Among these were Professors George Gafford and Murry Galinson. Professor Galinson, “always approachable,” taught what was then a new class on ethics, which served Rick well throughout his career, navigating the murkier waters of the profession. Mr. Gattis also commented on the lasting impact Professor William Burby, who taught first year Real Property law, had on him and peers, throwing them into the deep end on day one with an old, English case

study, asking, “What is this case about – in two words?” After several students made spectacles of themselves trying, Professor Burby intoned, “The two words are –incorporeal hereditament.” Words Rick says he had never heard before, never saw used thereafter, and never will forget, noting Professor Burby’s intimidating lesson in simplifying complex issues.

While studying for the bar with a colleague who had attended a more “august” east coast law school, Rick found that his comparative education at Cal Western had given him the same solid foundation with a much more practical understanding of the law, especially since he had been provided litigation experience starting in his second year. Upon graduating from Cal Western with a JD, in 1974, Mr. Gattis felt equipped to take and pass the Bar Examination and to immediately launch his career, “exactly the way [he] wanted it.”

He began his practice with a medium-sized firm and specialized in civil litigation, before leaving to form his own general practice firm in 1982. In addition to real estate brokers, escrow companies, restaurants, and air-crash survivors, Rick and his firm represented local financial institutions and banks in the 80’s and several prominent automobile dealers and their owners throughout the 90’s and 2000’s, in addition to representing clients in over a dozen major civil jury trials and numerous other contested actions in State and Federal Courts throughout California. After a long and fulfilling career, Rick retired in 2020.

This past year, when Mr. Gattis visited the Cal Western campus for the first time in a number of years, he was pleasantly surprised at the developments that have been made, among them the resources that are now provided for students in the new main building and library. It also brought a smile to his face when he saw students “hiding in cubicles or empty rooms– quiet, where no one can bother you– exactly like we did.” Some things don’t change about Cal Western culture!

Rick feels “hugely fortunate” to be in the position he is in as trustee of Mr. Jim Williams’ trust. Jim was actively involved with a number of local philanthropic and civic organizations, including the San Diego County YMCA, where he served on the board, and the Holiday Bowl Committee, where he was one of the organizing “Redcoats.” Rick met Jim in 1986, when Jim purchased Kearny Mesa Toyota. From that time forward, Rick had the privilege of providing Jim and the dealership with legal counsel. Through the years, the two became close friends.

Mr. Gattis remarked that while it is a heavy responsibility to choose how to allocate the trust’s remaining funds, it is also a great privilege to be able to provide significant support to worthwhile causes in San Diego and elsewhere. It is Rick’s hope that his gift, on behalf of Jim Williams, will help “current and future students, giving them outlets for knowledge that they would not have otherwise been exposed to. The idea of faculty members from different schools across the nation sharing their stories and cultural experiences with our students, faculty, and community members is incredibly appealing. Jim would have been in full support of this.”

We wish to express our community’s profound gratitude to Mr. Gattis for his generosity, for helping students to thrive while at Cal Western and beyond– just as he did.

If you have included California Western in your estate plan or would like more information about including California Western in your estate plan, please contact Dani Dawson at ddawson@cwsl.edu or 858-997-3047.

Please note, our alumni database is transferring to a new provider.

We hope this will be as seamless of a transition as possible, however, we apologize in advance for any errors. You may see items that are inaccurate, or no longer up to date. If this occurs, you may contact us at alumni@cwsl.edu to make any necessary changes.

Jessica Gross ’17

Jessica Gross ’17 is only six years out of law school but has risen fast and is now Associate Corporate Counsel in Privacy & Data at Sony Playstation. While at California Western, she was a Justice Kennedy Scholar, the Editor-in-Chief of the International Law Journal, and a member of the Moot Court Honors Board. After several years working in the government tackling cybercrime, she made the transition to corporate cybersecurity— and could not be happier about where she’s ended up!

She sat down with California Western to discuss her career thus far and the complex challenges data privacy lawyers tackle every day.

How did you end up at California Western and how did your experiences here help shape your career path?

It was obvious from the tour! California Western far exceeded any other school I visited. They introduced me right away to the people in Career and Professional Development Services. They put me in touch with students and faculty. I could tell it was a school that had an obvious commitment to student success. And when I arrived on campus, I liked everything and I did everything. I had great professors, who taught me everything I needed to pass the Bar.

One of the most pivotal experiences I had was the Jessup Moot Court Competition with my coaches Professor Acevez, Professor Bobbie Thyfault ‘84, and Kate Clark ‘10. It helped me so much in improving my legal research. I learned how to break down a statute, how to write briefings and fine-tune persuasive, analytical reasoning. The competition in my first year was actually modeled on Edward Snowden

and Wikileaks— it was called “The Frost Files.” It dealt with hacking another country’s cyberspace— which relates directly to the work I’m doing now with Playstation on cybersecurity and data privacy.

That was when I started learning how the internet really works and how technology is continually becoming more enmeshed in our daily lives. It’s a little like Black Mirror, the cutting edge of things, where policy and law intersect with technology and business and how they influence our daily choices and behaviors. No one else was investigating this at the time.

While at CWSL, you clerked at the Department of Justice, with the Attorney General, and in the San Diego County Appellate Court. What drew you to government work originally?

To be honest, I’m a total nihilist— in the sense that I think not a lot matters unless you decide that it does. So you have to choose— do you want to do good or not? And I’ve always thought that if I’m going to be spending most of the hours of my life on something, I want it to have a positive impact. Initially, I wanted to work in the government and tackle cyber crime that way. I did a clerkship after graduation, worked for a magistrate judge. This gave me a certain pedigree that law firms like to see. And I learned a lot from my encounters with different lawyers and their lawyering styles.

But the truth is, there aren’t many roles in government in cyberspace. I interned with the Attorney General and at the time they didn’t really have any people working in it. The feds are focused primarily on protecting children and preventing child pornography, which is essential, of course, but there’s very little activity on any of the other issues in cybersecurity like privacy, incident response, wire fraud, and ransomware.

I would definitely recommend government work for anyone interested in getting trial experience. I think any law student, no matter your interest area, should clerk in an appellate court, because it forces you to do a lot of writing and to appear before judges. You have to be able to communicate effectively, to be appropriate, objective, and fair— convincing but not manipulative. And they will put you in there!

Why did you decide to transition from government work to corporate law?

Well, government officials just have no idea how the technology of the internet works. And what that means is that when privacy or cybersecurity laws are made, officials and regulators don’t know how they can or will be implemented or the consequences of how companies will behave to get in compliance. I call it “cookie banner nonsense”— like, having transparency and choice about how your data is collected matters, but even I get annoyed by cookie banners everywhere. And it’s a perfect example of how these laws don’t really fulfill their intent and reflect how officials and regulators have a total misunderstanding of how the tech is actually working.

But that makes for tons of work for lawyers. And when you’re on the corporate side, you get to work globally, because there is a whole hacking ecosystem with global operations. Plus, businesses operate globally and pretty much everything the internet can be accessed globally. On top of that, there are so many different policies across every state and nation, so when you’re developing contracts and policies for a company like Playstation, you’re trying to come within “demonstrable compliance” with these thousands of competing laws and regulations.

It’s exciting and challenging, because for the most part these are all brand new laws. One of the jokes I used to have about the California Consumer Privacy Act was that it was the “choose your own adventure” law because it had so many typos and subdivisions to nowhere. And there is no case

law, there is no precedent, so it requires a ton of legislative interpretation. What I love the most is taking all the mumbo jumbo and putting it into practice, making it make sense.

Can you break down what your day-to-day looks like at Playstation?

Playstation has sixteen different studios all designing new games and tinkering with existing ones. And it’s a vast tech ecosystem, including the games themselves, the platforms they’re played on, and any third-party tech and software that might be integrated into the game. Whenever a person plays a game, data is being collected about certain of their actions or activities (depending on their privacy settings).

So it’s my job to know— What kind of data is being collected? Where is that data going? Will it be stored or destroyed? Who will be able to see it, if anyone? What might it be used for? And will it be sold?

I work with developers to review games to make sure data is being collected according to an individual’s chosen privacy settings, not allowing leakage. I also help craft policies on the types of data that will be collected and where it will go, making sure our policies are aligned globally across the hundreds of games we publish.

What kind of data would a game be collecting? Like, how many times I turn left in a racing game?

Ha! Well, a game is essentially a really complex computer program. So, for it to work, the computer program will collect data. For the most part, that data goes into game development — making the games better. But the bigger question is about personal information— there are over a hundred different laws about what kind of personal data can or can’t be gathered.

PlayStation, like all game developers, will gather gamers’ personal identifiers. Depending on those gamer’s privacy settings, we might use that data to help inform business strategy or develop new products. For example, PlayStation recently developed controllers specially designed for people with certain disabilities. There is also a big initiative in the studios to include more accessibility settings in games, like for color-blindness, hand-eye coordination problems, motion sickness, deafness. Given the sensitivity of this data, we take measures to ensure we’re being transparent with gamers and treating their data with respect.

But some companies out there have a business model that dictates getting as many data points as possible and then selling them to companies who ultimately create conglomerated profiles of people. So, if all your gameplay data were connected to a conglomerated profile and then sold to a third party, that would be a big concern.

And you don’t do that?

We don’t do that. Ultimately, PlayStation’s goal— which is very achievable— is to reach one billion active users, but to do so in a way that respects our users and the trust they place in us. And we don’t believe that you need to buy and sell people’s data to deliver premium gaming experiences. You just need committed developers and artists who make our games come to life.

Can you say more about the risks to consumers in terms of data privacy?

Sure. It’s all part of this vast ecosystem, unfortunately. This kind of data collection is sometimes called “capitalist surveillance.” Companies treat data like an asset, because they can make millions or billions of dollars off of it, usually selling it to advertisers who are always looking for these specified profiles. It’s only more recently that laws have started to catch up to consumer expectations. People believe that they should own their data and decide what to do with it. So do I.

But then there are a lot of other parts of the ecosystem. Credit reporting is part of the ecosystem, and companies like Equifax and Experian have had massive data breaches in the past. There have also been cases of rental companies trying to buy data to determine if people would be reliable to pay their rent. In a previous job, I also saw one instance of a database of profiles that was part of a data trust for which members of a particular political party were named as the beneficiaries (and people’s data was the trust’s property).

The most nefarious cases, though, are identity theft and crimes against children. Children tend to use a lot of tech and play games just as much as anybody else, but they are the most susceptible. They don’t know the consequences of sharing their data, and they could be susceptible to influential advertising and other predatory behavior. So, there’s a lot at stake in privacy and cybersecurity.

What do you think the future of regulation looks like in cyberspace?

Every state and country is slowly catching on to the technical reality of what’s happening, that data is being collected, misused and used unfairly all over the place. But there is a copycat effect in terms of regulation, largely driven by Europe, where privacy laws are becoming more stringent and better enforced.

I expect that for some time it’s going to be a mess. It’s going to be a patchwork of laws across the globe. And eventually certain companies will lobby the right people for change. But we’re not going to have a federal privacy or data breach statute any time soon.

Things will change when a company like Microsoft, for example, a global company that’s worth more than some countries’ GDPs, or associations of such companies are spending $500,000+ to get into compliance with one state law— a law that might change on a moment’s notice, based on a particular legislature’s whim — decides to put their money behind lobbying for standardized laws. Then legislatures will start to listen.

I know you only graduated from Cal Western six years ago, but what are your reflections on your career thus far?

It’s gone way better than I ever thought! When I first started law school, I was focused on the US News Rankings and thought, “How am I ever going to get a job?” But I am just as successful as I would have been if I had gone to the “top-ranked” schools. I took advantage of opportunities that were given to me. I worked hard. I talked to people. I stayed connected.

I feel grateful for the classes I was able to take at California Western on privacy and white collar crime. And California Western has some tremendous programs, like the New Media Rights clinic, of course. I had great career advisers, and I was trained incredibly well.

If you’d told me before law school that I’d be in the position I’m in, providing counsel to a global company, I would have said “Yeah, right.” But it turns out, you’re just as successful as you want to be.

Community Commons

Thanks to Ken and Dorcas Lounsbery’s generous donation, the second floor Community Commons has become a haven for students on campus. They’re able to eat, study, and socialize in comfort with amenities well suited for hard-working students. Continuous donations and support from our dedicated alumni allow us to continue to provide for the next generation of lawyers and attorneys.

“Sleep is my vice of choice,” says Maresa Talbert ‘17, founder, CEO, and lead lawyer of the Talbert Law Office, APC, a firm specializing in business and nonprofit development and intellectual property law. And if sleep is Talbert’s vice, then a relentless entrepreneurial spirit is her virtue. Hailing from a small town in Texas, she says humbly that she always knew she was meant to do exceptional things. And she works tirelessly— literally— to achieve them.

When she decided to attend law school in 2014, Talbert was in the Navy, considering JAG as her next logical step. Just after receiving her letters of acceptance, however, she was relocated to Virginia for a one year tour and needed to defer. Unsurprisingly, California Western was the only school that promised to hold her seat for the year, a decision which proved fortunate both for her and for the California Western community.

Upon her arrival at California Western, Talbert discovered the school’s broad community of nurturance— and, as is her habit, immediately began her own nurturing of the community. In addition to eye-opening academics and inspiring clinical experiences, she immersed herself in the school’s “familial culture

and atmosphere,” particularly through the Black Law Student Association. As one of only seven or eight Black students in her year, Talbert says her participation in BLSA, first as secretary and treasurer and later as a mentor for entering students, “felt like family, always having someone to reach out to who understood my experience.”

As a BLSA member, she was instrumental in developing culturally relevant events on and off campus, building a network that ultimately extended throughout San Diego. This led to her becoming a member of the Earl B. Gilliam Association, which she was heavily engaged in as a student member, before serving on the Board immediately after her graduation from CWSL, eventually becoming President, and currently filling the role of Immediate Past President. The association, she says, “always feels like coming back home.”

Talbert recalls with gratitude the transformations in her thinking that California Western professors and staff helped facilitate. From Leslie Culver, who was then the mentoring professor for BLSA, she learned fundamental law skills and the evolving place of Women in the Law. From Professor Laura Padilla, she learned business organization and “fell in love” with business law, thinking, “I could do this.” She took every class that Professor Fink taught, relishing

“

“know the why’s” of any legal action and don’t have to feel reliant on someone else.… it comes from a fundamental principle of treating people the way I want to be treated.”

Maresa Talbert ’17

her “incredibly dynamic” approach to teaching and her modeling of “what it means to be a top-notch professional.” Her experience in the New Media Rights clinic proved most decisive in setting the course for her career, exposing her to the kinds of clients she now works with and loves, not to mention the “brilliant mentorship” of Professor Art Neill. Finally, Professor Vickie Turner, Talbert’s supervisor while in the STEPPS program, became her model for professional responsibility. She says, “If there’s anyone— outside of my mother— who I aspire to be like, it’s Vicky Turner. She’s just so brilliant and carries herself with poise and grace.”

As is evident from her work postgraduation, Talbert is certainly living up to those aspirations. After a short stint in the corporate world, she recognized that she had a different vision of how she could serve her community. So, only one year out of law school, she created the Talbert Law Office, offering intellectual property,

trademark, and contracts counseling to new businesses and nonprofits. Not only is she an entrepreneur but Talbert is also a disrupter: “The typical lawyer says, ‘I know what I’m talking about. I know what to do. You pay me for solutions. But I want my clients to feel like this is a collaboration.” Accordingly, she provides her clients with thorough education on the options open to them, and offers flat fees and subscriptions services, to have full transparency on what she will provide and how much the client will have to pay for it.

She considers it a priority that her clients “know the why’s” of any legal action and don’t have to feel “reliant on someone else.” For her, this is more than a business ethic, “it comes from a fundamental principle of treating people the way I want to be treated.”

Talbert admits that this, again, was not the path she’d expected. She never pictured herself as an entrepreneur, navigating the challenges of running a legal business— staying within legal boundaries, managing scope creep, getting paid on time, and much more. “Being both the visionary and the implementer takes a lot of grit,” she says. But despite the challenges, the rewards for her grit are significant and growing with each year, particularly in the opportunities she is creating to serve the Black community in San Diego and for her employees and interns. Talbert notes that her clients will often ask, “Where have you been!? Where did you come from!?” while her employees and interns— many of

whom are the first in their family in the law, and who may not have gone to a Top 50 law school— will say, “We look up to you, Maresa. Thank you for setting this example. You’re giving us the blueprint for success.”

As if this were not enough, Talbert also continues to serve in the Navy Reserves as a Surface Warfare Officer, is co-chair of San Diegans for Justice, and serves on the Board of Directors for the California Western School of Law Alumni Association. Among many honors she’s received, this year, the San Diego Business Journal named Talbert as one of the Top 50 Black Leaders of Influence and as one of the Top 50 Women of Influence in the Law in the San Diego community.“I’ve seen all of the stats,” she says, “I know 2% of all attorneys are Black women. But I don’t feel that statistic. I don’t feel disadvantaged. In fact, I feel the opposite. The truth is that I’ve always stood out. It’s just par for the course. But it’s not necessarily a problem. I’m here to do my best. And if you have a negative view of people who look like me, well, then today God has graced you with the opportunity to meet me and have your mind changed.”

When asked if she has any plans to slow down, she chuckles and says, “My husband is always saying that! ‘You never slow down’.” To which she responds, “You’re right. I do need to sleep… I’ll take it when I can get it.”

I’m here to do my best And if you have a negative view of people who look like me, well, then today God has graced you with the opportunity to meet me and have your mind changed.”

Lisa Ferreira Estuardo Ponciano &

When it comes to the California Western student experience, what are the core components of providing our students with a quality education in addition to academics?

LISA FERREIRA

Students come to law school with an idea, dream, or vision of how they want their professional life to look. One or all of these can change over time through exposure to their coursework, internships, and externships. One of the first ways we support students in their academic journey is to create an environment of belonging and caring. It is also important to provide support and programming that creates opportunities for networking and

professional development. One of the other areas includes student leadership and leveraging that experience to help in career opportunities. We have an amazing academic program, and we see our role in student-related offices as supporting students in a variety of ways that go from personal to professional; working through any area that creates a barrier to having a full educational experience.

ESTUARDO PONCIANO

A quality legal education prepares students for every aspect of professional life. Alongside the academic and professional skills they are developing at CWSL, students also must strengthen and acquire the life skills that will allow them to flourish in law school and beyond. This can include all kinds of skills like leadership and networking, effective communication, time management, maintaining work/life balance, and setting boundaries.

Are there any highlights to the student experience you want to share with our alumni?

LISA FERREIRA

Our students are gaining an excellent reputation in the legal community. They are service oriented, culturally competent, and take part in a lot of skills building programs. I would also like to highlight all the work our student organizations have done through panel presentations, involvement with the local bar association affinity groups, and their academic work through the journals and the CAP program. We have a dynamic group of students who will make us proud as alums.

ESTUARDO PONCIANO

As we continue to move forward from the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions this brought about, we are excited to welcome students fully back to the law school space and to help foster a stronger sense of community and CWSL identity and culture. Speakers, activities hosted by student organizations, monthly coffees with the Dean, and Barristers Ball are just some of the events happening this trimester. These, along with the myriad co-curricular offerings like Law Review, Trial Advocacy – as well as internships and clinics – offer a robust schedule that allows students to fully immerse themselves in the CWSL culture of learning and service.

What would you say is one of the most exciting or rewarding aspects of working with/alongside our student body?

LISA

FERREIRA

For me, I am excited to see the professional and personal growth that students make every day. When I go to student organization meetings and see them conduct meetings, panel discussions, and interacting with the judiciary, or local attorneys, I can see their future. Law school is challenging, and these have not been easy times. Seeing students overcome adversity and working to make society a better, more inclusive place makes what I do worthwhile.

ESTUARDO PONCIANO

One of the most rewarding aspects of working with our student body is to meet students early in their careers and to witness the growth and development that takes place over their time in law school. It is inspiring to get to know our students’ stories and the resiliency that they bring to CWSL. It is even more exciting to know that they will leave CWSL equipped with the attributes and talents they brought with them to law school coupled with the skills and knowledge they have developed here, and the impact they will have on our profession.

Lisa Ferreira

What are some of the processes/procedures for providing quality development for all Cal Westerners?

Professional development is a key component of all departments at the law school. In the Student & Diversity Services Office we see that through counseling and programming that teaches students about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We start at orientation with training for all incoming students to reflect on the community they are entering and the expectations we have for students. We continue programs throughout the student’s time with us. In the Career and Professional Development Office, it is important that students begin to engage with our office early on in their law school career. Through one-on-one meetings, career advice, mock interviews, and preparation for internships or externships, this office assists in all aspects of what becomes a student’s professional identity and reputation building.

With a diverse student body, what are some challenges to providing resources for students of all backgrounds and experiences, such as our First-Generation students?

We are working to develop more programming for First-Generation students. As a First-Gen student and a first-generation American myself, I know that navigating through systems can be confusing. In addition, each student’s experience can be unique and that makes it challenging to ensure that you are capturing and providing programming that works for everyone. Wellness has been something that we are really working on, especially through a multicultural lens. We do that with the idea of ensuring that all students feel welcome despite their beliefs or backgrounds.

Estuardo Ponciano

What are some challenges to working directly with student organizations and representing their goals and aspirations?

It truly is a pleasure to work with our student organizations. The student leaders are committed to serving their members and to contributing to the law school community. If I had to name a challenge, it would be resource allocation amongst all the organizations. How do we best serve all our students’ needs under the budgetary constraints law schools face? Notwithstanding these challenges, Student and Diversity Services maintains a close working relationship with the Student Bar Association (SBA) to ensure the voices of all students are heard and represented.

How do we support the growth and success of each student once they arrive on campus?

Communication is key, as is being receptive to feedback. My office is always open. What services and opportunities can we offer to help students in their development? We constantly examine and reassess the services, events, speakers, workshops, and organizations available to students at the law school to ensure these are relevant to their current needs. We can’t be afraid to ask ourselves, are we considering the experiences (both in and outside of the classroom) of first-generation or minoritized students, or students with disabilities or with neuro divergencies? By listening to students and meeting them where they are, we can nurture a sense of belonging and ownership of their law school. In so doing, we will foster a diverse, engaged community of students and future CWSL alumni.

CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

The Career and Professional Development Office (CPDO) would like to thank California Western alumni who once again volunteered to serve as a mock interviewer for our students preparing for summer internships and jobs and our 3L and recent grads interviewing for post-bar or permanent attorney positions. Thank you to our alumni’s generous volunteer time, we now have a list of more than 100 alumni in our updated Mock Interview Attorney Directory. The CPDO is grateful to all of you on the list willing to conduct in-person, virtual, or phone mock interviews.

The CPDO welcomes you to get involved by becoming an Alumni Volunteer. Options include becoming an Alumni Mentor, joining us at CWSL as a “Lunch with Lawyers” guest, being a mock interviewer, or being a panelist speaker for one of the many CPDO programs throughout the academic year.

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!

Perkins Coie LLP

DLA Piper Jones Day

San Diego County Public Defenders

Hoffman & Forde

San Diego City Attorney’s Office

Federal Defenders, Central District of CA

Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara

Legal Aid Society of San Diego

Duane Morris

IRS Office of Chief Counsel

Schwartz Semerdjian Cauley and Evans LLP

Antonyan Miranda

Centurion Trial Attorneys

Gomez Trial Attorneys

ABA Immigration Project

The CPDO is proud to share some fantastic career outcomes for some of our recent graduates and current 3Ls from the graduating classes of 2022 and 2023 who landed jobs at some notable employers!

CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP SPOTLIGHT

We are proud to announce that this year, Moira Brennan ’05, Pari Granum ’09, and Nicole G. Wells ’10 have all made partner at Dummit, Buchholz, Trapp, a firm dedicated to defending hospitals, doctors, and healthcare workers in claims of alleged medical malpractice. We sat down with them to discuss how their individual career paths ultimately brought them together to form a familial partnership and cohesive leadership team.

First of all, congratulations on making partner! I’d like to take you back to the beginning a bit and ask you to reflect on your California Western education and how that prepared you for your journey here.

Moira Brennan

I always knew I wanted to work in health care law. At California Western, I was able to make Health Law the emphasis in my studies, which gave me the background knowledge I needed. I was able to gain practical experience through the Health Law Society program; and that experience in the field was tremendously helpful. Also, the emphasis at California Western is always on inclusion, diversity, treating people with respect, and openness to different cultures. And those values are essential working in the healthcare law. We have the same culture in our firm, where the emphasis is on diversity of people, voices and opinions. I was also helped by the business development classes I took, which taught me how to be a leader and how to bring the best out of people.

Pari Grunam

Among the many things that helped contribute to my legal development at California Western, I believe the school’s focus on diversity and mentorship really helped prepare me for my journey as a practicing lawyer today. My parents moved to the United States from Iran during the revolution in the 70’s and we had no lawyers or law enforcement professionals in our family. I was really thankful and fortunate to receive a diversity scholarship to attend California Western. I also had the opportunity to join the Middle Eastern Law Students Association, which put me in contact with other first generation Persian American students paving their legal paths here in the United States, often for the first time in their families. I was also able to obtain a position with a well-known civil rights attorney through the school’s internship program, which was very helpful in terms of learning basic litigation practices before graduating law school.

Moira Brennan ’05

Pari Granum ’09

CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Nicole Wells

California Western armed us for the real legal world. Instead of memorization and regurgitation, we were taught how to think like lawyers. The STEPPS program gave us that real-world training in writing and oral argument, so we hit the ground running as soon as we graduated. I knew from the very beginning, as the child of practicing physicians, that I would pursue a career in medical malpractice defense. It was important for me to give back to the community that helped so many I cared for. California Western offered many courses in healthcare litigation, regulatory affairs, and problem solving where we worked with local agencies to form practical solutions. Additionally, I was given the opportunity to publish in the Journal of Biolaw and Business, and later served as President of the Health Law Society. This made me a competitive applicant upon graduation.

What drew you to healthcare law and Dummit, Buchholz, Trapp?

MB: started in health care law. I wanted to be in health care law. There was no doubt for me. I am grateful that I was able to combine a deep respect for the personnel working in the healthcare field and the practice of law. I like that the field is always changing; there is always more to learn, there are new cases and issues all the time. Since arriving at Dummit, Buchholz & Trapp, I have been given the opportunity to grow, and I haven’t looked back.

PG: What drew me to healthcare law was my family’s experience in the healthcare industry and getting to help people who do so much for others on a daily basis. My dad worked as a pediatric oncologist for 42 years, and I have one brother who is an oncologist and another who is a dentist. It is a privilege to be able to help doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals through what is often one of the most stressful experiences in their professional careers. As far as what drew me to DB&T, I would say getting to work with our managing partner, Scott Buchholz. He is such an excellent attorney and a good person, so it’s an honor to be able to work with him and learn from him. It is also really everything about this firm– the clients, the kind of work, the way we work together and have the same mind frame of how to treat people.

NW: As I said, I had a good idea of my career trajectory due to my upbringing. Half of those I knew growing up had one or both feet in healthcare. I spent countless hours filing medical records in my parents’ offices that I now analyze day to day and implement as evidence

in my cases. This discipline allows me to be a jack-of-alltrades in the way medical experts become an integral part of our defense team. Every case here provides some opportunity to learn something new about the field of medicine. Aside from the subject matter, Dummit Buchholz & Trapp offers incredible camaraderie and support. During breast cancer treatment, the entire firm became an extended part of my family, and made my re-entry feel welcome and seamless. I could not see myself being anywhere else.

Talk about making partner– what’s that position about for you? What does it take to get there?

MB: I love what I do, and I focus on doing all I can for our clients and for the firm which operates as a team. Before I was partner, I was always thinking about how I could support my co-workers and staff, because that would help us all succeed. The role of partner facilitated my ability to continue doing that with even a broader scope. With our firm, integrity plays an important role and a commitment to being the best for our clients. Also, this firm approaches the services we provide as a group endeavor. We strive to support each other and mentor new attorneys and interns. A commitment to those ideals and always seeking to grow - to be a better attorney and a better co-worker is what it “takes to get here” as well as a genuine passion for what we do.

PG: For me it’s about mentorship, teamwork, and resolute advocacy on behalf of our clients. I had incredible mentors myself, and being a partner gives me an opportunity to pay it forward and to be available for someone just

Nicole G. Wells ’10

starting the practice of law and giving them guidance to succeed. Being an attorney is not easy and we face challenges and stressful situations on a daily basis. I always remind myself that “you don’t know what you don’t know,” and it is called the practice of law for a reason, so I do my best to always come in with an attitude of, “What am I going to learn today?” as well as “What am I able to teach someone today?”

NW: Becoming partner meant, in practical terms, the external validation you seldom receive as a lawyer. No doubt this took hard work, commitment, and exceptional service to our clients. But also ensuring I pursued opportunities within and beyond the firm to cultivate a healthy work-life dynamic. Volunteering time to causes I care about ultimately (and unexpectedly) generated business development opportunities. I continually strive to improve my lawyering skills and make clients my highest priority alongside new administrative responsibilities. But I find it equally important to mentor and guide our new lawyers and interns in a way that represents our firm culture, and teach them that civility reaps more benefits for our clients than hostility.

And what’s it like to make partner together?

MB: The three of us each bring different qualities, personalities, and experiences to the table. There is no one size fits all, and our combined attributes enhance the experience and leadership for all our attorneys and support staff. We support each other, we complement each other’s skill sets– it’s a total team approach. Our leadership is strengthened because we’re open and comfortable with each other.

PG: It has been a fulfilling experience for me. Before we made partner, I felt a kinship with Moira and Nicole as women in the legal field. Not only did I look up to them as lawyers, but just as people in general as they both contribute their time and energy to non-profit organizations and advocate on behalf of persons and animals in need. It has been an honor to be elevated professionally alongside them and given the opportunity to advance the interests of our clients and colleagues with these two incredible women.

NW: I worked under Moira when I joined the firm in 2010. I always thought, “I want to be her when I grow up. She was the model of an even-keeled, effective lawyer who commanded respect. Even though there were growing pains along the way – many, and ongoing to be sure – to be elevated with these two women whom I admire and

respect is such a privilege. Though our journeys here differ, we equally prioritize our clients and our people. We encourage open dialogue and support. We recognize and applaud each other’s accomplishments. I couldn’t be working with a better leadership team.

As three women in the law, does it carry a special significance to make partner?

MB: During law school, I became involved with the Lawyers Club of San Diego which is an organization that promotes and provides advocacy for women in the law. That was a wholly positive experience. Through that organization, I was able to engage with strong, confident women who were hugely successful in their careers. Those women were inspirational and allowed me to envision a culture where there are no limitations for women in the practice of law. I am fortunate to work with a firm that values the whole person and their skill set, without regard for gender. As a partner, I hope to be a role model for other women, especially new attorneys or law students, to demonstrate that they can achieve whatever they hope for in life and to not even consider being limited by their gender.

PG: Yes, it does carry a very special significance for me. I believe women in the legal world often endure genderspecific challenges and stereotypes that our male counterparts generally do not have to face. For instance, since graduating law school up until even now, I have been told to smile more and to not be so assertive while advocating on behalf of my clients. Now I make it a point to address inappropriate behavior or comments directly, even if it means doing it on the record during a deposition. It is the only way things will change for the better for future generations of female lawyers. I have a daughter and I am thankful she sees me working in this industry and sticking up for myself as well as for our clients. Luckily, our managing partner at DB&T respects and encourages us to stand up for ourselves in this regard.

NW: Despite great strides, it remains challenging to be a woman in this field. I note when counsel demonstrates overt sexism, which happens more often than one may think. Even then, not everyone takes accountability. But by doing so, I seek to empower other women to use their voice. Fortunately, the atmosphere at our firm encourages us to do so. So to make partner together, as three women, is a huge win. Alongside Moira and Pari, with our shared vision as leaders– this is exactly where I want to be and something I am really proud of. Alongside these two, with our shared vision as leaders– this is exactly where I want to be.

NEW MEDIA RIGHTS

New Media Rights Executive Director Art Neill and Assistant Director Erika Lee were guests on the Pop Culture Detective: Audio Files Podcast. We joined host Jonathan McIntosh to discuss the importance of fair use and how it interacts with YouTube’s Content ID system. Fair use is a critical tool for the media criticism field, but also for many other creative ventures. You can find the podcast on the Pop Culture Detective: Audio Files website, YouTube, and wherever you normally get your podcasts.

Business Insider quoted Executive Director Art Neill in an article that discusses the legal implications of former President Trump’s lawsuit claiming the audio rights to interviews by Bob Woodward. The case poses interesting questions about copyright ownership and use of interview recordings. Professor Neill spoke about the challenges that a potential precedent

imposing laborious new requirements on news gathering would have on journalists.

New Media Rights attended the ABA Antitrust Law Section’s Consumer Protection and Data Privacy Conference on February 8th-9th. Experts in the consumer protection and data privacy fields shared their perspectives on what is most important today for consumers, and those working to protect their interests. Emory Roane, a CWSL and New Media Rights alum and currently the Policy Counsel for Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, spoke on a panel about the current consumer financial protection landscape. Current NMR students Jackie Taitano-Johnson (2L) and Emily Kirschenheuter (2L), and NMR alumni / current CWSL student Christy Hsu (3L) had the opportunity to network with prominent consumer protection and privacy attorneys.

From left to right: Christy Hsu (3L), Art Neill, Emory Roane ’17, Erika Lee ’17, Jackie Taitano-Johnson (2L), Emily Kirschenheuter (2L).

COMMUNITY LAW PROJECT

For California Western’s Community Law Project, a clinic that provides advice and resources to low-income members of the San Diego community while also providing students with the opportunity to work one-on-one with clients within a variety of legal areas, 2022 was truly a year of returning to its roots. The CLP corps of law students, undergraduate students, and volunteer attorneys volunteered over 3,000 hours of their time, which in turn allowed CLP to host 140 free live legal clinics in the community and provide 14 legal education presentations. During a time when many other organizations struggled to return to a live service model, CLP’s ability to return to their mission of literally “meeting clients where they are” is one that our California Western community can take pride in.

CLP’s successes over this past year were plentiful and varied. Among other things, our students were able to provide guidance to a victim of sexual harassment who is now on her way to holding her employer liable for the unlawful behavior he allowed to permeate throughout

the workplace, engage an excited group of high school students in a lesson on legal issue spotting, and perhaps most importantly, observe their own emotional and intellectual growth as they learned how to effectively work with vulnerable community members. CLP’s recognition as Nonprofit of the Year for California Assembly District 78 was merely icing on the cake to a year full of successes. The Community Law Project remains excited about the prospects to come and welcomes the continued support from our law school alumni community as we strive to improve and grow as an organization.

For more information about CLP or how to become involved in their efforts, please contact Associate Clinical Professor Dana Sisitsky at dsisitsky@cwsl.edu

Student Sara Berry and Volunteer Attorney Jack Dailey work with a client at CLP’s downtown clinic location

Student Hailie Festa guides a client during a clinic at St. Leo Mission Church in Solana Beach.

THE CALIFORNIA INNOCENCE PROJECT

The California Innocence Project welcomes home two more innocent people!

Anthony Chairez was released after spending 20 years in prison wrongfully. Anthony was incarcerated when he was only 15 years old after being convicted of attempted murder in Los Angeles. His older brother, Enrique, was first identified by a witness, but the witness qualified his identification and said the shooter looked younger and had bigger eyes. Enrique was addicted to drugs and had lost significant weight leading up to the shooting. Police replaced Enrique’s

photo with Anthony’s in a second line-up they showed to the victim. The victim identified Anthony and was never given an opportunity to identify Enrique. Enrique ultimately confessed to the crime and that confession was corroborated with other witness statements and evidence. CIP staff attorney Audrey McGinn litigated Anthony’s case for more than a decade. She is pictured here with Anthony just moments after he was released.

Rodney “Patrick” McNeal was released from prison after 25 years of wrongful incarceration. Patrick had been convicted of the murder of his wife Debra McNeal in San Bernardino, California in 1997. Patrick had a solid alibi—he was at work as a probation officer at the time and did not have time to commit the murder. Years later, CIP discovered that Patrick’s halfbrother, Jeffery “Jeff” West, had confessed to family members and others that he, not Patrick, had killed Debra. West had also committed other murders after Debra’s murder. CIP litigated Patrick’s claim, but, despite strong evidence he was innocent, the court declined to reverse McNeal’s conviction. In 2020, with the help of Patrick’s parole attorney, Laura Sheppard, Governor Newsom commuted Patrick’s conviction and granted him parole. He is pictured here enjoying his first steak dinner in 25 years!

Pat rick’s homecoming brings CIP to their 38th release of an innocent client!

The Call of the Wild

Q & A WITH STEV E WHITE ’77

Originally from the Midwest, Steve White came to San Diego to gain his law degree. At California Western, he did an externship in Anchorage, Alaska. Hooked on the outdoor adventures, fresh air, and slower, more self-sufficient way of life of this northwestern state, White never looked back, making Alaska his home for the last 45 years. Underpinned by his law degree, White became a commercial fisherman, environmental consultant, boat captain, Assistant Attorney General, and more as he embraced the Alaskan lifestyle.

White sat down with California Western to discuss his colorful and varied career path.

Q. How did California Western lead you to Alaska?

Well, one of the main things that attracted me to California Western was its Clinical Education Program, and I was on the student volunteer board for that program. That introduced me to various opportunities, and the one that I participated in was the one that took me to Alaska during my last semester of law school. It was an externship with the City Attorney’s office in Anchorage – a three-month off-campus experience. I chose Alaska because the other two opportunities did not appeal to me. One was in Appalachia, and I had grown up close to there, so I was familiar with that area, and the other was in Hawaii, where I’d spent some time in the military and was not particularly keen on that climate. So Alaska was a place I had never been to and was very different and, for that reason, appealing.

Q. How was this a lifechanging experience for you?

I didn’t return to school for graduation as it didn’t work in my schedule there in Alaska. So I graduated, but not within the ceremony. My eyes were opened to all the opportunities Alaska offered, particularly the chance to get outdoors and into very close natural settings, which always appealed to me. I decided I would settle in Alaska, so I returned to San Diego, gathered up my belongings, and shipped them up there. And Alaska has been my home for the last almost 45 years.

Q. You passed the Bar and then decided to put your law career on hold. Why was that? The first thing to do was to take the bar exam that summer, which I

did and passed. I decided then that I would not take up law practice right away but explore all the other opportunities that Alaska offered and work in different fields, so I did for about ten years. While studying for the bar exam, I worked for an environmental consulting firm and, subsequently, a commercial diving company. After several years with those companies, I became a commercial fisherman on the coast in a small village called Cordova, on the east side of Prince William Sound. I had a lot of other jobs in the small town to keep the cash flowing. I was an instructor at the Community College, a truck driver, and I processed fish. All sorts of things you need to do to make a living. But, by and large, for ten years, I didn’t actively practice law.

“I always thought my law degree would assist me in whatever I did. And that’s true. I think a law degree and the training to get that degree is very functional no matter what you do after that.”

Steve White ’77

Q. How and why did you kickstart your law career after those experiences?

I decided I didn’t want to continue with commercial fishing. Although I had a very small legal practice on the side, I wanted to get my brain re-engaged, so I applied to and attended the University of Washington LLM program on Marine Law. I did that in Seattle, returned to Alaska, and started working for the Attorney General’s office in Juneau. I started in the commercial section of that department, and eventually, I persuaded the Attorney General to transfer me to the Natural Resources

section. I worked in that section for about 14 years, and it covered everything from public land use, fish, and wildlife to environmental protection.

Q. Your career then took another turn. Tell us about that.

I decided I wanted to take a whole different track. My law practice and profession were very rewarding, and I enjoyed being a public attorney representing the residents of the state of Alaska. But, I wanted to go back to working on the water. So I got a Captain’s license, and ever since, I’ve been a small boat captain taking visitors to Juneau. People come on cruise ships, and I take them out in a smaller boat and show them the wildlife – principally whales and other marine wildlife.

Q. You have managed to pursue a lot of interests, but you always had your legal career to fall back on. Is that how you planned it, or just how it worked out?

I planned it that way. I always thought that my law degree would assist me in whatever I did. And that’s true. A law degree and the training to get that degree is very functional no matter what you do after that. I practiced law for a while and really enjoyed it, but with all the other things that I did, my legal education enhanced my ability to do them.

A law degree will serve you well whether you intend to be a lawyer or take up another profession. It helped me get a lot of jobs. My law degree enabled me to be hired in businesses that were not law-related. People like to have a person who is trained or thinks like a lawyer on their staff.

Alex Tramontano ’11

Standing Up For What’s Right

Even before his undergraduate years in his home state of Massachusetts, Alex Tramontano ‘11 had thought about attending law school. During his last two years at UMass, he worked for the Police Department, which gave him a good foundation and desire to join the prosecutorial arm of the police force –essentially the District Attorney’s office or the County Prosecutor’s office.

“I chose California Western because it was very strong in the area that I wanted to work,” said Tramontano. “The school had internship and externship type programs, specifically, the Certified Legal Intern program at the DA’s office that really interested me.”

“Working for the Police force gave me relevant experience and certainly opened my eyes to a broader world of what was going on with respect to crime and society around me,” continued Tramontano. “California Western was the perfect fit for me and had the added benefit of being in San Diego, where coincidently my brother lived.”

While at California Western, Tramontano worked in the DA’s Office and became a certified legal intern with ambitions to transition full-time into that office upon graduation.

However, the recession happened, and the DA’s office instituted an 18-month hiring freeze, so Tramontano had to rethink his career plans.

“I joined the insurance fraud division as my second rotation at the District Attorney’s office as well as taking the insurance law and litigation class at California Western with Adjunct Professor James Holtz,” explained Tramontano.

He excelled in that class, and while studying for the bar, Professor Holtz told him his law firm was looking to hire an associate. He ultimately got the job and started working in private practice for a public entity and insurance defense firm.

Two years later Tramontano transitioned to another law firm where he practiced construction litigation for the next five years. At Lorber, Greenfield, and Polito, LLP he concentrated on construction defect-related defense work. “I kind of got the taste for construction litigation,” he said. “I spent ten years on the defense side, representing large companies, insurance companies, and private clients in pretty high-dollar value litigation. All related to the values of the construction projects and the defects that were alleged. This included a number of notable high-rise residential buildings in downtown San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.”

From his police experience to law school and throughout his career, Tramontano has always been driven by the desire to stand up for what is right.

“In real-world litigation settings, it’s important to have courage under fire,” says Tramontano. “It’s important not to wilt under whatever comes at you, because ultimately if you are doing what you believe is right, you’ll go far in this world.”

Nothing exemplifies Tramontano’s philosophy better than his current workload as an associate attorney at the San Diego office of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP.

He is part of the team that recently won a victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of StarKist Co. et al. v. Olean Wholesale Grocery Cooperative Inc. et al.

Wolf Haldenstein is lead class counsel for the end payer plaintiffs in the underlying class action lawsuit. The matter involved a request for a writ of certiorari to the

U.S. Supreme Court by defendant StarKist Co. from the Ninth Circuit’s en banc decision in Olean Wholesale Grocery Coop., Inc. v. Bumble Bee Foods LLC upholding the district court’s order granting class certification.

The Department of Justice brought a case against all the major packaged seafood distributors and their executives for price fixing at every level with a significant worldwide market impact. This had been discovered in part by a whistleblower’s letter during the sale of one of those businesses.

“My office, working with specialist David Frederick at Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, PLLC, filed a coordinated opposition to the petition for certiorari on behalf of the plaintiff classes,” explained Tramontano.

“We argued, on behalf of the end-payor plaintiffs and the coordinated plaintiff classes, that the Supreme Court should decline to review the Ninth Circuit’s en banc decision. The high court agreed, and the case will now continue to trial in the District Court for the Southern District of California located in San Diego, before the Hon. Dana M. Sabraw.”

The Supreme Court decision has been a proud highlight in Tramontano’s career, and although there is much hard work ahead, he remains confident of a successful outcome.

“It’s frightening to think about what happened to a basic staple like tuna, but it kind of gives you heart to know that people will still stand up for what’s right,” said Tramontano. “People still write these whistleblower letters that may at the time seem somewhat insignificant, but in the light of what’s come to pass, it can make all the difference.”

“I credit California Western for really preparing me and giving me the tools to succeed in practice.”

Faculty Updates

Professor Flavia Berys

Professor Berys, Adjunct Professor for Real Property Finance, expanded her real estate company by adding new real estate agents and rebranding the company into a separate brokerage and property management company, formerly combined and now separate. Bookmark Realty is the new brand for the real estate brokerage, and the tagline is “Your Next Chapter Awaits.” The property management company is Solamar Realty. By being attorney-founded, these companies provide superior real estate advice and service to clients looking to sell, buy, or invest.

Vice Dean Susan Bisom-Rapp

J. Scott Bovitz

In March, Adjunct Professor J. Scott Bovitz was inducted into the prestigious American College of Bankruptcy. In 2023, Bovitz was selected as a Super Lawyer in bankruptcy for the 20th year in a row (every year that the program has been active in the Central District of California). This is a record held by fewer than 350 attorneys in the state, in all areas of the law.

Professor James Cooper

This spring, Vice Dean Bisom-Rapp spoke at two overseas events. On March 14, she delivered the Second Annual Malcolm Sargeant Memorial Lecture at Middlesex University - London. Malcolm Sargeant was her long-time co-author. During the decade they collaborated, they wrote eight major works on older workers and age discrimination in the US and UK. Her Sargeant Memorial Lecture is titled, “Older Women Workers, the Pandemic, Discrimination, and Lifetime Disadvantage.” The Vice Dean recently completed a book chapter on that subject. On March 16 and 17, she participated in the 20th International Conference in Commemoration of Professor Marco Biagi at the University of Modena, Italy. The conference theme was “The Green Transition and the Quality of Work.” On March 16, Vice Dean Bisom-Rapp was the discussant on a panel titled, “Linking Environmental Protection and Employment: The Role of Law.” She compared and contrasted papers presented by professors from France, Italy, Denmark, and Poland.

Professor Cooper has spoken at What Next.Law at Novo University in Lisbon, Portugal, at Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property, University of New Hampshire and First Meeting on Corporate Integrity and Global Legal Regulation, at FACAMP in Campinas, Brazil. His article Piracy in the Time of the Metaverse will be published in 63:3 IDEA: The Law Review of the Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property/U. of New Hampshire in Spring 2023. His opinion pieces have appeared in the Hill, L.A. Lawyer, and the Business Times of Singapore. He has appeared in numerous podcasts including TechXchange from of the Singaporean government.

FACULTY UPDATES

Judicature Journal just published an interview with Judge Diane P. Woods (7th Circuit) along with Professor Brenner Johnson and her co-author for their book, Shortlisted: Women in the Shadows of the Supreme Court. Perfect timing for Women’s History Months.

Professor Brenner Johnson spoke at a webinar hosted by a consortium of Externship faculty at Southern California law schools. They provided training for attorneys who supervise externs and law students. She presented on bias/professional identity/first generation students and on providing feedback.

Presentations: Panelist, AALS Open-Source Program, Author Meets Readers: Women Trailblazers in Legal Education, AALS Annual Conference, San Diego, CA 2023. Invited Speaker, Belmont Law Review

Annual Symposium, Shifting Landscapes: 21st Century Property Law, Real Estate Trends: Title and Blockchain, Belmont Law School, Nashville, TN, Sept. 2022. Panelist and Organizer, Graciela Olivares Latinas in the Legal Academy “GO LILA” Inaugural Workshop, Stanford Law School (via Zoom), June 2022. Co-hosted Latina/o Law Professor Dinner AALS 2023.

Professor Nancy Marcus

In January, Professor Nancy Marcus became the first legal skills professor voted to join the tenure track faculty through California Western School of Law’s new unitary tenure track program. She has also recently joined the Board of Directors for the National Chosen Family Law Center.

Professor Hannah Brenner Johnson

Professor Laura Padilla

Professor Simon’s most recent work, Using AI in the Law Review Submissions Process, was published by the UC Davis Law Review. She presented at the University of San Diego’s 10th Annual Patent Conference in March.

Recent publications: Sax, J.K. and Doran, N., Evaluation of Risk Perception of Smoking After the Implementation of California’s Tobacco 21 Law, 19 INT’L J. OF ENV’T RES. AND PUB. HEALTH 16971 (2022); Sax, J.K., Genetically Engineered Food, Food Security, and Climate Change, 6 MO. BUS., ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND TAX L. REV. 1 (2022); Sax, J.K., COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and (Mis)perception of Risk, 48 AM. J. L. & MED. 54 (2022). Recent media: KCBS – San Francisco, Interview about FDA’s proposed rule for labeling food as ‘healthy’ (September 2022); KCBS – San Francisco, Interview about Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (June 2022); KPBS – San Diego, Interview about challenge to COVID-19 vaccine mandate in Doe v. San Diego Unified School District (May 2022); KPBS – San Diego, Interview about mask mandate decision in Health Freedom Defense Fund v. Biden (April 2022).

In the Fall Professor Glenn Smith was quoted in an article by nationally known humorist A.J. Jacobs appearing in the English newspaper, The Guardian. The article makes a serious point about the perils of over-emphasis on history in constitutional interpretation. Professor Smith criticized the current Supreme Court majority for “let[ting] their hidebound sense of history overcome a reasonable originalist approach.”

Professor Joanna K. Sax

Professor Glenn Smith

Professor Brenda Simon

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

The Honorable David A. Elofson ‘85—Judge David Elofson retired from the bench on January 31, 2023. During his tenure on the Yakima County bench, David worked as a deputy Yakima County prosecuting attorney before joining his father’s law firm, Elofson, Vincent, Hurst and Crossland, and later becoming a partner in Menke Jackson Beyer and Elofson until his election to the court.

Stephen N. Doty ‘87—Stephen recently wrote a dictionary of fallacies in logic called 97 Fallacies to Know. It is designed to help lawyers find the correct names and definitional criteria of each fallacy their opponent commits, orally and in writing, during a case.

James P. Dwyer ‘87—Jim’s firm, Bridge City Law, became the first personal injury law firm in the world that is B Corp certified. The firm was also awarded small business of the year by the Better Business Bureau in the state of Oregon.

Joseph P. Potocki ’87 Daniel J. Brast ’08, Kacy M. Thompson ’16, and Joseph P. Potocki ’87 have formed Chalifoux, Brast, Thompson & Potocki, APC. Headquartered in San Diego, the firm concentrates on litigation and transactional matters involving construction, real property, and public contracting. Joe has represented national developers, property owners, specialty contractors, design professionals and product manufacturers for over 30 years. He is one of San Diego’s foremost real estate and construction law attorneys, with extensive experience litigating high-value disputes related to real estate, business, construction defects, personal injury, mechanic’s liens, Miller Act and delay, acceleration, and inefficiency claims. Additionally, he has worked on hundreds of transactional matters on behalf of his clients including business formation and contract drafting, review and negotiation.

Kirk D. Hendrick ‘91—Kirk has been appointed chairman of the Gaming Control Board by Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. He will begin his four-year appointment at the end of January. Kirk will oversee the statewide, 400-person agency charged with regulating and enforcing the laws associated with Nevada’s largest industry.

Greg G. Rizio ‘91—Greg has been sworn in as the 2023 president of Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). Greg is the founder and senior trial attorney of the law firm Rizio Lipinsky. CAOC is a professional organization that represents the interests of 39 million Californians.

The Honorable Lupe C. Rodriguez ‘94—Lupe was appointed as a magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California based in Imperial County. Prior to his appointment, Lupe’s civil litigation work included handling business and insurance disputes as well as employment and general liability issues.

Eric A. Seiken ‘94—Eric was named general counsel of CML Security, LLC, a nationwide detention equipment and security electronics integrator located in Broomfield, Colorado that specializes in the manufacture, maintenance, and service of correctional facilities across the United States.

Paul A. Reynolds ‘95—Paul has been elected President of the San Diego chapter Association of Business Trial Lawyers for 2023. Paul has been a member of the Board of Governors of the San Diego ABTL chapter since 2016 and has previously served in various positions, including Chairman of the Dinner Program Committee, Treasurer, and Vice-President, before being named President for the upcoming year.

David J. Frankenberger, Jr. ‘96—David has joined insurance and civil litigation defense firm Tyson & Mendes LLP as managing partner of its new Fresno office. David brings 25 years of litigation and trial experience to Tyson & Mendes, previously serving as an associate attorney for several large insurance defense firms in Los Angeles before relocating to Fresno and joining Ericksen Arbuthnot in 2002.

Oren Lavi ‘00—Oren has been promoted to chief sales officer at Plano-based LiquidAgents Healthcare. Oren previously was vice president of sales following an extended stint as director of client advisory.

The Honorable Tait D. Elkie ‘02—Tait was appointed as a judge for the East Valley Regional Veterans’ Court (EVRVC). The EVRVC is a cooperative effort among judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, members of the Veterans Health Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs Justice Outreach program and human service agencies working together to assist Arizona veterans transitioning from military service. One goal is to address life situations such as medical conditions, unemployment, lack of education, homelessness, mental health or PTSD issues and drug or alcohol abuse that may be an underlying cause of a veteran’s charges. It is designed to expedite access to veteran-specific resources such as VA benefits and treatment.

Moira S. Brennan ‘05—Moira has been named as a partner in Dummit, Buchholz & Trapp’s San Diego office. She is involved in healthcare law, business litigation, and serves as co-chair of the employment law group. Along with expertise in litigation, Moira also serves clients in policies and practices to curtail regulatory issues and prevent litigation.

Adena M. Santiago ‘05—Adena has joined Foster Garvey, PC’s Washington, D.C. office as of counsel. Adena joins Foster Garvey’s Commercial, IP & Tech Transactions practice where she brings extensive experience as an alcohol beverage attorney counseling clients across the three tiers of the alcohol beverage industry – licensing, labeling and compliance. Adena joins the firm from McDermott Will & Emery and holds experience in all 50 states.

Daniel R. Antonelli ‘06—Daniel was awarded the Frieda S. Nisnewitz Award for pro bono service by the Brooklyn Bar Association. Daniel was recognized for his work during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the way with a pro bono program for families who had lost loved ones due to COVID.

Erich A. Drotleff ‘06—Erich joined Plume Health, Inc., as their General Counsel and Compliance Officer. Plume provides gender-affirming hormone therapy via telehealth for the transcommunity across the United States. Based in Denver, Plume is a trans-founded digital health start-up with top-tier venture capital backing. Plume’s mission is to create deeply affirming direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical services for the trans and broader queer community.

Gillian I. Miller ‘06—Gillian has joined Warner Bros. Discovery as senior counsel, music business and legal affairs. Prior to Warner Bros. Discovery, Gillian was the Director of Business Affairs at The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, Inc.

Caroline A. Hopkins ‘07—Caroline has been elevated to the position of Senior Counsel at the law firm of Wood, Smith, Henning and Berman LLP. Based at the firm’s Portland office, Caroline handles complex litigation, including catastrophic injury, products liability, transportation matters and a wide variety of complex tort matters.

Nicole A. Silveira ‘07—Nicole has been sworn in as Merced County’s new District Attorney. Nicole is a longtime prosecutor who has worked in the Merced County District Attorney’s Office since 2010. She was promoted to supervising district attorney by then-District Attorney Larry Morse II, making her the first woman to hold a management role in that office.

Gabriela M. Torres ‘07—Gabriela has joined Disability Rights California (DRC) as managing attorney. DRC is the agency designated under federal law to protect and advocate for the rights of Californians with disabilities. DRC works in litigation, legal representation, advocacy services, investigations, public policy, and provides information, advice, referral, and community outreach. Prior to joining DRC, Gabriela was deputy city attorney at the city of National City.

Daniel J. Brast ‘08—Daniel J. Brast ’08, Kacy M. Thompson ’16, and Joseph P. Potocki ’87 have formed Chalifoux, Brast, Thompson & Potocki, APC. Headquartered in San Diego, the firm concentrates on litigation and transactional matters involving construction, real property, and public contracting. For over 13 years, Daniel Brast has represented San Diego real estate developers and general contractors in complex constructionrelated disputes and handled transactional matters for a variety of companies, ranging from small local businesses to Fortune 500 giants.

The Honorable Rebecca G. Church ‘08—Rebecca has been appointed to serve as a judge in the San Diego County Superior Court by Governor Gavin Newsom. Rebecca has served as an assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California since 2015. She was an associate at Duane Morris LLP from 2012 to 2014 and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Ruben B. Brooks at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California from 2008 to 2010.

Victor J. Herrera ‘08—Victor has been named a partner at the law firm Carmel & Naccasha LLP. Victor’s practice focuses on estate planning, trust administration, trust litigation, probate litigation, and conservatorships.

Martin L. Hirsch ‘08—Martin has been elevated to partner at Santa Rosa law firm Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz LLP. His practice focuses on real estate transactions, business transactions, land use, homeowners’ associations, and water companies. He represents public agencies, homeowners’ associations, businesses, and individuals.

Pari H. Granum ‘09—Pari has been named as a partner in Dummit, Buchholz & Trapp’s San Diego office. She focuses her practice on defending healthcare systems, hospitals, and individual health care providers in professional liability matters. She is also continuing her defense of general liability claims against major retail centers and other businesses throughout California.

Nicole G. Wells ‘10—Nicole has been named as a partner in Dummit, Buchholz & Trapp’s San Diego office. She represents hospital entities and their non-physician staff in professional liability actions and provides counsel in a variety of risk reduction and regulatory compliance matters. She has successfully defended individual providers and healthcare organizations throughout California against actions spanning catastrophic birth, brain, and spine injuries to complex medical issues.

Nadine R. Hatten ‘11—Nadine has been appointed juvenile court referee for the 6th Circuit Court, Oakland County, Michigan.

The Honorable Jillian B. Francis ‘12—Jillian has been appointed to the Maricopa County Superior Court by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. Jillian served as assistant attorney general in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, where she’s held several roles since 2014. The bulk of Jillian’s work has been in the Criminal Appeals Section, representing the State of Arizona in non-capital felony appeals ranging from drug offenses to first-degree murder and dangerous crimes against children.

Lauren G. Kane ‘12—Lauren has joined the San Diego office of Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman as an associate attorney. With more than 10 years of experience in civil litigation, Lauren has represented multi-national businesses, small business, employers, and professionals in a wide range of legal matters, including complex business disputes and professional liability defense.

Jacqueline H. Rudolph ‘12—Jackie is head of a professional community for in-house legal professionals at Legal.io. Legal. io offers a free community for in-house legal professionals including networking opportunities, job postings, webinars, panel speaking opportunities, and more.

Chanté F. Coleman ‘13—Chanté has been promoted to senior vice president, equity, and justice at the National Wildlife Federation. Chanté leads the effort to fully operationalize equitable policies and practices and supports the organization to actively challenge systemic racism. She drives culture change by reframing how the organization thinks about power, while also encouraging others to develop their own expertise on equity and justice in their work.

Rachel E. Garrard ‘15—Gomez Trial Attorneys launches appellate department with Rachel. Rachel, who will serve as the firm’s appellate specialist and head of the new appellate department at Gomez Trial Attorneys. In her role, Rachel will be instrumental in not only handling the firm’s writs and appeals but also lending her talent and expertise to the firm’s trial teams through major motion work, trial consulting, appellate strategy, and more. Rachel is certified by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization, as a specialist in appellate law.

Adam B. Levine ‘15—Adam has been promoted to partner at CaseyGerry in San Diego. A key member of the firm’s serious personal injury team, Adam focuses his practice on product defects, premises, auto and aviation cases. He began working for CaseyGerry in 2013 as a law clerk. Prior to joining CaseyGerry, Adam worked as a federal judicial extern at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California for the Honorable Irma E. Gonzalez.

Kacy M. Thompson ’16 Daniel J. Brast ’08, Kacy M. Thompson ’16, and Joseph P. Potocki ’87 have formed Chalifoux, Brast, Thompson & Potocki, APC. Headquartered in San Diego, the firm concentrates on litigation and transactional matters involving construction, real property, and public contracting. Kacy represents clients in both Nevada and California in the areas of general business, construction defect, business litigation, complex civil litigation, and personal injury. In addition, Kacy has experience serving as general counsel for clients, providing management support as well as reviewing, drafting, and negotiating contracts.

Aaron F. Hughes ’17—Aaron has joined San Diego law firm Weiner Law as an associate attorney. Aaron handles cases in estate planning, trust, taxation, and probate administration.

Alexis J. Schuler’17—Alexis has been promoted to senior counsel at the law firm of Wood, Smith, Henning and Berman LLP. Alexis’ practice focuses on complex civil litigation and high-exposure cases.

Maresa N. Talbert ‘17—Maresa was named on San Diego Business Journal’s Top 50 2023 Honorees of Black Leaders of Influences. Maresa is founder and CEO of Talbert Law Office, APC, a business and intellectual property law practice that supports businesses, nonprofits and individuals by providing premier legal services and culturally relevant legal education. In addition to running her practice, Talbert serves in the Navy Reserves as a Surface Warfare Officer, is co-chair of San Diegans for Justice, and the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association, as Immediate Past President.

Lara Deitz ‘19—Lara has joined Gomez Trial Attorneys as a trial attorney. In that role, Lara will represent personal injury clients in our San Diego office. Lara is bilingual in both Spanish and English and prior to joining Gomez Trial Attorneys, she was a litigation attorney at a prominent family law firm in San Diego, California

Ethan B. Shakoor ‘19—Ethan has joined Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP’s San Diego office as a litigation associate. Ethan’s practice at Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP will include representing clients in shareholder and partnership disputes, as well as defending against class actions and claims involving breach of contract, unfair business practices, fraud, and negligence.

Leeza M. Birko ‘20—Leeza has joined Wilson Elser as an associate attorney. Based in the Phoenix office her practice focuses on the defense of claims related to insurance defense, general liability, employment disputes, premises liability, contractual disputes and other matters.

Elizabeth Dimaano ‘20—Elizabeth has joined San Diego-based law firm Berger & Williams as an associate attorney. Elizabeth’s practice focuses on employment litigation including wrongful termination, retaliation, and wage and hour claims. She has experience representing individuals, businesses, and public entities across Southern California.

Elizabeth Mireles ‘21—Elizabeth has joined the business litigation and tort & insurance law practice groups of San Diego based law firm Higgs Fletcher & Mack. Elizabeth’s background includes work on subrogation and recovery, advising clients on subrogation viability, supervising forensic examinations, and assisting on property loss cases. In addition, Elizabeth has served as a Housing Justice Fellow with the Inner City Law Center in Los Angeles, and also served as a legal extern for the California State Division of Labor and Standards Enforcement.

Lationa D. Simpson-James ‘21—Lationa has joined the San Diego office of Hawkins Parnell & Young LLP as an associate attorney. Lationa represents insurance companies in insurance coverage and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims, including cases arising out of rideshare motor vehicle accidents. Her clients include rideshare and transportation companies.

Aurora V. Gallardo ‘22—Aurora has joined Gupta Evans & Ayres as an associate attorney. The San Diego-based law firm specializes in the areas of bankruptcy, corporate litigation, and real estate law.

Greer L. Houston ‘22—Greer has joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack’s trust and estates practice group. Prior to passing the California bar exam, Greer was both an extern and a post bar law clerk at the firm. In addition to her experience at Higgs Fletcher & Mack, Greer has served as a judicial extern to The Honorable Anthony J. Battaglia.

Celeste M. Leung ‘22—Celeste has joined Pettit Kohn Ingrassia Lutz & Dolin as an associate attorney. Based in the San Diego office, Celeste focuses her practice on the defense of employers in all aspects of employment litigation.

Tyler J. Strycula ‘22—Tyler has joined Burton Kelley LLP as an associate attorney. The San Diego-based law firm’s practice focuses on insurance coverage, first and third-party defense, insurance regulatory compliance, risk management, professional and insurance broker malpractice along with a variety of business matters.

IN MEMORIAM

Patrick Daly

John A. Ward ‘72

Tarik S. Soudani ‘76

Maureen “Mo” Ecke ‘79

Justin L. Salas ‘12