Alumni Success

With a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Science/Ecosystem Management to complement his J.D. from SJCL, Art was appointed by two governors to serve as chair of the California Water Resources Control Board. He had previously served two terms as a Mariposa County Supervisor and is past president of the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators. “The breadth and quality of graduates from SJCL never ceases to amaze me, but the one common bond they share is how much they give back to the community.”

John had always admired his grandfather who was a respected attorney. After being out of college a few years, John was ready to jump in. During law school, John initially clerked at Laughlin, Falbo, Levy & Moresi. During school he also worked for nearly two years at Nuttall & Coleman before eventually returning to Laughlin, Falbo to begin his bar study preparation. John’s practice is primarily insurance defense in Workers’ Compensation cases. He has a fast-paced, litigious caseload with a typical week including 4-5 hearings or trials. John’s first child was born right before his Real Property class final. His wife wisely waited to tell him she was pregnant with their second child until 10 minutes after he learned he had passed the bar exam. John remembers the great times in law school with his study group – Charlie Hamamjian, Michael Titus, and Jordan Penner.

David joined Dowling Aaron in January of 2001 and has been the Chair of its Business Litigation Department since 2014. He says he has learned a great deal in the position, which he describes as intellectually challenging, like law school. An owner in the firm, David manages his own practice, oversees the workloads of the firm’s litigation lawyers, and leads the firm’s recruiting efforts. David’s Fresno roots run deep so his plan was always to stay local. He met his future wife and found his inspiration to attend law school at Fresno State. For David, SJCL made sense in every way. 

Greg began his career practicing insurance defense with Parichan, Renberg, Crossland & Harvey. In 2000 he joined Walter & Wilhelm doing bankruptcy work, specially focusing on the intersection of insolvency and intellectual property issues. In 2007 he joined the U.S. Trustee’s Office as a Trial Attorney. He was promoted to Assistant U.S. Trustee in 2014. He oversees the administration of all bankruptcy cases and general office operations. As to law school, he greatly enjoyed his study groups that helped him make it through exams!

Benny’s law practice is focused on helping small businesses and startups succeed. He was initially attracted to SJCL by the great bar pass rate and says his choice to attend after working as a training manager for several Bay Area tech companies was a good one, even though he worked full time and had a family at home. “It was a huge commitment, but I’d do it again if I had the opportunity!”

As a young child, Lisa watched Perry Mason with her grandmother, and it sparked an interest in going to law school. Her legal career began in civil work at McCormick, Barstow but she wanted to be in the courtroom litigating cases, so she took a job at the Madera County DA’s Office in 1997. In Madera, she prosecuted Sexual Assault cases and worked in the Major Crimes Unit. In 2001, she moved to the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office and was assigned to several units including Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault/Child Abuse and Homicide. In 2014 she was elected District Attorney and was re-elected without opposition in 2018. “Being a prosecutor is my dream job. It allows me to help my community and to be a voice for those who may not have a voice of their own.”

George was inspired to go to law school by his two uncles who were lawyers. During law school, he clerked with Michael J.F. Smith. As a graduate, he was an Associate with Lozano Smith, LLP for a year, serving as counsel for the City of Clovis. Working with Ty Kharazi thereafter inspired him to open his own practice, something that had always been his goal. Since 2016, George’s practice has focused on business and real estate litigation, with some personal injury and bad faith insurance cases. George and his teammates, James Mugridge and Amanda DeHart, won the statewide 2013 Roger Traynor Moot Court Best Oral Advocate Award. This fall, George is co-teaching SJCL’s Moot Court class with James. George expressed appreciation for his San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review experience as well, saying “It engrained in me the legal research skills that have been invaluable in my practice.”

During his banking years, Michael became interested in law enforcement and joined the Madera Sheriff’s Office as a Volunteer Deputy. During justice classes taught by former Fresno District Attorney Ed Hunt, Ed convinced Michael to study law at SJCL. After graduation, Michael worked with Olson, Blanco & Tomassian in civil law awaiting bar results. Upon passing the bar, Michael joined the Madera County District Attorney’s Office where he worked for 22 and ½ years. He handled cases ranging from civil asset forfeiture to violent crimes to homicides. From January of 2009 until January of 2015, Michael served as the District Attorney for Madera County.

Dan’s practice is transactional law, 99% in the video gaming arena. He negotiates and drafts artist, voiceover, music, and game developers’ contracts, and was originally a game developer himself. Dan works with clients all over the world including in the United States, China, Hungary, Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Russia, all from his home office in the foothills. He deals with issues ranging from conflicting copyright laws to digital licensing agreements. In his spare time, Dan is a published author. His fiction book, Ghosting, was number 1 on Amazon’s bestseller list for several weeks. He is working on a second book that should be published in fall of 2019.

Prior to attending law school, Tiffany worked as a paralegal for 10 years. She decided she wanted to be able to do the entire job and wanted to be a role model for her children. After going through law school as a single mother, Tiffany was committed to passing the bar on the first attempt. She studied 12 hours a day for three months and completed more than 6000 MBE questions to reach that goal. As to law school, Tiffany found it challenging but she felt supported by her fellow students, the faculty, and staff. Upon passing the bar in November of 2018, she worked first for Peel & Garcia, then moved to Quall Cardot. Her practice is exclusively in creditors’ rights. Her goal is to eventually work in dependency law or juvenile justice.

Rick was drawn to the legal profession in college because it seemed to fit the way his mind worked. He began his legal career in civil litigation with Emerson, Corey & Barsotti in Fresno. In 2002, Rick was approached by Diana Dooley, then General Counsel, to join Valley Children’s Hospital and direct their legal services as Deputy General Counsel. Rick served in that capacity for 13 years, assuming the role of General Counsel himself in 2006. Rick currently serves as General Counsel for Saint Agnes Medical Center and enjoys practicing in the complex and highly regulated field of health care law. “I have been blessed to work alongside many outstanding local health care leaders and physicians as we strive together to provide the best patient care for our Central Valley.”

Devika earned her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice.  Mentoring at-risk youth was part of that program, which lead Devika to pursue a career that combined care and compassion with creative problem solving; in other words, law.  Her first position as an attorney was in juvenile dependency defense.  She then ventured into personal injury, and later had the opportunity to move to her current position where she works in Trust and Estate Law.  Devika especially appreciates her ability to help clients plan for incapacity or death, or in comforting clients who have suffered a loss of a loved one and are unable mentally to deal with the legal implications.  Devika says her law school experience was pleasantly surprising.  “I never encountered any of the cut-throat competition that we hear about (at other law schools)”.  Her most enduring memory is of her very first torts class with Dean Pearson.  “For me, it symbolized a big step in the right direction.”

Kevin knew he had the ability to stand up for himself and others, so felt he was headed for a legal career assisting people who did not understand the legal system. In law school he clerked with James Makasian and Roger Nuttall. In 2008, he joined Stammer, McKnight, Barnum & Bailey, focusing on insurance defense cases and being the only attorney in the firm handling criminal defense matters, but the death of his uncle at the hands of a drunk driver motivated him to make a change. In February of 2014, he joined Baradat & Paboojian, Inc. where he handles exclusively plaintiff personal injury cases. He became a partner with the firm in June of 2018. “I love the challenge of being involved in litigation. I think back fondly on the practical courses I took in law school – Criminal Trial Practice with Judge Cullers and Moot Court, Evidence, and Criminal Law with Judges Boone and Conklin. I also enjoyed being called on by Professor Purvis and attempting to answer his questions.”

Lisa always planned to go to law school, but her military career using her engineering degree came first. She was the Base Engineer for the Fresno Air National Guard, responsible for maintenance and construction at the Fresno Airport facilities. She retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. After law school, she joined Bolen Fransen Sawyers, where her transactional practice focuses on secured lending, real estate, and general business, for a variety of for agricultural and commercial entities. Lisa serves on the Board of the AgLenders Society of California, for which she has taught a number of educational seminars. She also serves on the Supervisory Committee of the Educational Employees Credit Union. “I enjoyed getting back into the learning mode in law school, something I had been longing for. The diversity of the student population – all ages, from all walks of life – added to the experience.”

Paul always loved debate, so a legal career seemed like a good fit. He clerked with Commissioner, now Judge Kalemkarian, in law school. Upon graduation, he worked for two years in insurance defense with Brown (’76) & Peel (’85), then for six years in Worker’s Compensation defense with Parker, Kern Nard & Wenzel. Two years with Grancell & Leibovitz followed, until he returned to PKNW for three years. In 2011, he and Jeremy Lusk (‘03) opened a partnership. In 2014, he opened his own office. “I love being on my own.” Paul remembers the hilarious banter between Professors Artenian and Cartier. “There was the same banter between Professors Conklin and Boone in Moot Court. It was a great class that totally spiked my confidence level.”

Andrea always had an interest in law in hope of making a difference to individuals and her community. This interest was reinforced during her service in the United States Navy. While in law school she clerked first with Hammerschmidt Broughton for a year assisting with criminal defense cases. During her last year of law school, she worked with Griswold, LaSalle, Cobb, Dowd, & Gin in municipal law. Upon graduation, she worked with Niklas Hugosson in real estate matters. In July of 2019, she joined the Dias Law Firm. Her focus there is civil litigation, but she also practices a significant amount of criminal defense. Her true passion is juvenile delinquency law which practice she hopes to develop. Law school was an incredibly busy time for Andrea. Her husband was deployed overseas most of the time, so she was effectively a single mother to their three children, working, AND going to law school. “I made some of the best friends of my life in law school.”

Jonathan worked as a legal assistant for a Social Security Disability lawyer while he attended college and law school. After passing the bar exam, he worked as an Associate practicing before Administrative Law Judges for the Social Security Administration. In 2013, Jonathan opened his own practice at the insistence of his best friend Leo Roman, who now runs the office. His practice emphasizes Social Security appeals and federal civil litigation. Jonathan has three offices - Fresno, Stockton, and Bakersfield – and is working on opening a fourth in San Francisco. Jonathan values the friendships he made in law school – naming Scott, Alexia, and Pam – who he feels were crucial in his final decision to go solo.

Brooke was exploring career options as an undergraduate when Doug Noll’s description of his mediation practice intrigued her. During law school, she clerked with Cornwell & Sample, but upon passing the bar in 2005, she decided she need more intensive litigation experience. Brooke worked with the Madera District Attorney’s Office for five years. She then spent three years in the civil arena with Jacobson, Hanson, Najarian & McQuillan. In 2014 she moved to the Child Support Office of Madera County, and ultimately in 2015, back to the Madera District Attorney’s Office. She prosecutes all felonies occurring in the mountain areas of Madera County – from car thefts to murders. “The first year of law school was awful, but I made the greatest of friends and survived.”

Rachelle wanted to make the world more accessible by pro-actively working with businesses to make every aspect of their operations available to all clients and legally compliant. That is exactly the work she does with the Hatmaker Law Group. Rachelle helps businesses to fix as much as possible immediately and develop strategies to attain full compliance. Immediately after graduation, she first pursued this vision for private entities through consulting work with the Civil Justice Association of California which overlapped with her public entity premises liability cases while working for Overstreet & Associates. Since June of 2018, she has returned to educating and advising in the private sector at Hatmaker Law Group. “At SJCL I felt I was part of a community. At a larger school, I would just have been a number. I would not have had the contacts and opportunities elsewhere to succeed as I have.”

For the last 20 years, Rick has handled litigation, company acquisitions, and contract customizations for an expanding telecommunications company. Although he’s now 74, Rick has no plans to retire because he enjoys what he does. As a runner of 13 marathons and at least 25 miles a week, he can probably work as long as he wants! Rick’s memories of law school reach back to the very first few days. “It was very intimidating. No matter how prepared you were, the faculty (especially Judge Wanger) would trip you up.”

Michelle Sassano had two young children at home, a three-year-old and a 3-month-old, when she enrolled in law school. She says the help of her study partners and professors helped her make it through. As an Associate Attorney at Weakley Arendt, Michelle represents entities like school districts in areas like negligent supervision, discrimination and harassment, in addition to the areas of business, contracts and real estate disputes. “I loved law school, I loved the learning.”

Upon graduation, Mao worked with Julia Brungess (’82) in family law. She wanted a focus more on the children in a difficult situation, rather than the parents, so she eagerly accepted a position with the Fresno County Counsel as a Dependency Attorney in November of 2018. Now she feels that “at the end of the day she has done something wonderful for the kids.” Mao thinks law school was very rewarding. “It made me really push myself to be the best person I could be.”

Early in his private practice, Michael began specializing in health care issues, in part because of health challenges faced by his youngest daughter. In 2013, he became the President of the Valley Children’s Medical Group Foundation. He is responsible for most of VCH’s operations except hospital-based care. This includes VCH’s regional sites, clinics and partnerships. VCH is rapidly expanding. Thanks to improved treatment, children who used to die of cancer, heart defects, and hemophilia, for example, are now saved, but often require ongoing expensive treatment once they reach 18. A priority for VCH is creating partnerships to ensure these young people get the continuing care they need as adults.

Michael opened his own firm immediately upon passing the bar exam. That firm now consists of ten attorneys, most of them San Joaquin College of Law graduates. The firm is a full service firm including civil, business, probate, trust, real estate, family, contract, employment, agricultural, tribal and eminent domain matters. Michael recalls with great excitement a beef recall case he defended several years ago that was the largest beef recall case in U.S. history and was justly resolved. Michael is active in the Hanford community and served for many years on the Board of Trustees of SJCL.

Erick credits the SJCL alumni network in helping him to secure hard-to-get internships with a local judge and the U.S. Attorney’s Office during law school. He says work in correctional law is fascinating as it takes him into prisons and, once in a great while, death row. “I have often referred to my coursework on constitutional law while working to defend correctional officers and occasionally the governor’s office.”

Rick was working as a court reporter in Municipal Court when he decided to give law a try himself. Upon graduating, he worked for five years in insurance defense and then in 1994, he joined Ninnis & Cribbs handling Workers’ Compensation applicants’ cases. In 1998 he became a Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist. The Monge Law Firm opened in 2001, doing exclusively applicants’ cases. “This field is a good fit for me because it has wide variety and I enjoy helping working individuals.” Rick worked full-time as a court reporter during law school – in court all day, producing transcripts during non-court hours, and going to law school at night. “It was four years of 16-hour days, but I’m glad I did it. I certainly learned good time management skills and made many good friends.”

Paul attained the undergraduate degrees of Paralegal Studies and Public Administration before tackling law school. Since his admittance to the Bar, he has spent most of his legal career as an attorney at Central California Legal Services, serving as the Supervising Attorney of the Voluntary Legal Services Program, and currently the Deputy Director of Development. In 2016 Paul received a Certificate in Nonprofit Management through the OneJustice Executive Fellowship Program. For the past 16 years he has taught courses in the Business Division at Fresno City College, as well as a “Street Law” class at SOUL Charter High School. He has also served as a Judge Pro Tem for the Fresno County Superior Court. In 2017 Paul was awarded the Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award by the Fresno County Bar Association.

Stan went to law school to acquire a higher education that would provide for his family and help people. Immediately after being licensed to practice, Stan opened his own office to be free to accept clients without having to have the approval of others. ”Many of my clients are low income so I offer legal services at a low rate. I keep my caseload smaller so I can represent all of my clients without being overwhelmed.” Stan’s focus is criminal, family, and some civil law. For the first 15 years of his practice, he also represented parolees in parole revocation hearings. “I love being a lawyer able to resolve clients’ problems and improve their lives.” Stan remembers the often-repeated phrase in the first year “55 to stay alive” and the help that was always available from professors and administration at SJCL.

As a Westside farmer, Gabriel had seen the impact of water law issues. He hoped to use a legal education to help farmers on those issues. In law school, he completed an externship with Magistrate Sheila K. Oberto at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. In January of 2014, immediately after passing the bar exam, Gabriel joined the Linneman Law firm. He does transactional work for private clients and public agencies and serves as general counsel for multiple water agencies. Linneman Law has offices in Dos Palos, Los Banos, and Merced. He finds the work challenging, but gratifying as he continues to work with people he knows from farming. Of law school, he remembers the relationships he formed with both classmates and professors, some of which continue today.

David chose law school because his father practice law and after enjoying an undergraduate class in media law at Fresno State, he discovered that he too had an aptitude for law. Upon graduation, he joined the law firm of Henry, Logoluso & Blum where he practiced business litigation and public agency representation. He joined the Atkinson firm in 2006 working for a brief period in their Sacramento office. The firm was looking to expand into the Central Valley, so David returned to open their Fresno office. The Firm’s Fresno office now has 10 attorneys. David’s practice is roughly 70% assisting large public education institutions in election law, contracts, and reorganization issues, along with 30% in private litigation. He remembers his study group with Shelli Pepper and David Moreno. He will never forget the time he had to abruptly leave Rene Sample’s Civil Trial Practice class one evening to attend the birth of his oldest son. He is taking that same son to BYU to start HIS undergraduate education this fall.

Gary immigrated to the U.S. from England in his late teens and served in the US Navy as a member of the exclusive Triple Threat Company. Upon his honorable discharge from the Navy, Gary entered college and worked as an investigator for several law firms. His investigations assisted in the dismissal of hundreds of cases. He then enrolled in law school where he received awards for academic excellence and gained accolades in both State and National Moot Court competitions. Gary joined his father’s firm upon passing the Bar Exam in 2012 and has practiced Criminal Defense ever since.

Don believed law would be a worthwhile and meaningful profession. (He confided that had law not worked out he figured his doctorate would qualify him for a position at the university so he could teach history.) During law school he was a library monitor and clerked at the District Attorney’s Office doing law and motion work. Upon graduation he worked as a Research Attorney for the Fresno County Superior Court, often working with Judge (eventually Justice) Hollis Best. From there, he joined Helon & Manfredo in 1981, where he worked with fellow classmate Marvin T. Helon for 38 years, 32 of them as a partner. This was a general practice. Don covered the firm's civil litigation in different fields from personal injury, collections, landlord/tenant to trust and probate litigation to real estate and commercial transactions. In March 2019, Don joined Baker Manock& Jensen where he continues to handle civil litigation and business-related matters. “Law school was a real challenge with lots of study and anxiety. The experience made for some great friendships and memories.”

Paul started at CSUF intending to get a degree in Business. All the principles were taught with the disclaimer “as long as this is OK with legal.” The deeper he probed the legal aspects, the more interested he became in attending law school. During law school, he clerked with Myers & Overstreet, then continued with them upon graduation for two years, doing insurance defense litigation. Then Paul worked with Caswell, Bell & Hillson for eight years, eventually becoming a partner. Two years with Klein, DeNatale, Goldner LLP followed, before Paul opened his own practice in 2013 and loves it. Paul handles business, real estate, and estates and trusts cases. He has represented the Fresno Association of Realtors since 2007. He got his Broker’s License in 2005 and owns a separate real estate firm. “I really enjoy practicing law every day. It would take a sizable lottery win to get me to stop.”

Leila represents school districts in a wide variety of situations, including labor, employment, student, and facilities issues. “The teachers and students at SJCL were all so collegial – welcoming and encouraging. We were all in it together. That worked better for me than the highly competitive environment of larger schools. Because there are so many SJCL graduates working in the Fresno area, that attitude carries over to the entire legal community.”

David wanted to serve the rural area of southeast Fresno County and northeast Tulare County. He had a degree in Ag Business and had taken the CPA Exam, but a law degree completed the education necessary to serve the rural population. Upon admission to the bar in 1993, he worked for Mick Marderosian for 2 years in insurance defense, learning a great deal about how to practice law. In 1996, he opened his own practice in Reedley, subsequently moving to Dinuba. Michael Karby (’95) ultimately joined him. David’s practice consists of estate planning, probate, trust administration, family law, and real property matters. As to law school, David remembers students being stacked to the walls in the Shields Avenue building. “We were just trying not to get in each other’s way.”

D’Artagnan attained an M.B.A. and enjoyed an impressive career in international business and retail before enrolling in law school. A few of his notable positions include Senior International Buyer/International Logistics Supervisor for Duncan Enterprises, and Procurement Projects Manager for Schneider Electric in Fresno. During law school he worked as a legal marketing writer for Emerson Church Law, and later as a law clerk at Michael Sullivan before becoming an associate. He now represents self-insured employers, third-party administrators and corporations in all aspects of Workers’ Compensation law.

Brande majored in Criminology – Victimology at CSUF. At SJCL, she worked as a contract paralegal in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the enforcement of criminal restitution, special assessments, and fines for a group of Hurricane Katrina fraud cases and in the affirmative civil litigation unit to recover damages for intentionally or negligently caused wildland fires on federal lands. Brande later joined Weakley & Arendt PC. Her practice is public entity defense, representing cities, counties and school districts in civil litigation. The bulk of her cases involve defending law enforcement officers in civil rights cases. The highlight of law school for Brande was meeting with other students to work through ways of mastering rules and preparing for exams. Brande was a member of the Board of Directors of the SJCL Alumni Association. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the San Joaquin Valley chapter of the Federal Bar Association, a member-at-large of the Judicial Advisory Committee of the Eastern District of California, and a Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference.

When Treanna entered law school, she planned to be a Public Defender. Upon graduation, she worked for a year and a half as a Public Defender in Madera and Fresno Counties. She then joined Grancell, Stander & Ruebens doing Workers’ Compensation defense for a year, then transitioned to Bradford and Barthel in the same field for three years. As of the end of March, 2019, she works with Chernow & Lieb, continuing with Workers’ Compensation defense, handling cases from depositions to settlement or administrative hearings. She remembers law school having a sense of community with everyone stepping up to help – almost like a family.

Lourdes was inspired to attend law school by a speech given by then Public Defender, Jose Villareal. She later interned at the P.D. office while still in law school and was hired on in December of 1993, when a position opened at the P.D. Lourdes has worked there ever since in nearly every kind of case including misdemeanors, felonies, major crimes, and dependency. She feels blessed that SJCL was available to her as she could not have left Fresno for law school.

Adam began working in the legal field with Ted Forrest at the age of 15. He worked at Ted’s firms, Forrest & McLaughlin and then Forrest, Henderson, Sloan & Davis, until Ted died when Adam was 21. Under Ted’s guidance, Adam completed the SJCL Paralegal Program. After Ted’s death, Adam worked at Dowling, Aaron & Keeler for two years and then joined McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte & Carruth. Adam also worked at SJCL as an instructor in the Paralegal Program. As Adam was completing his Masters in International Relations at Fresno State, he was contemplating law school. Jan answered that question for him when she told him: “You are starting law school this fall.” Upon graduation, Adam continued working with McCormick Barstow for five years. Adam joined Baradat & Paboojian in 2013 and became a partner in 2016. Adam handles mostly plaintiff personal injury cases. As to law school, he remembers winning Best Oral Advocate in the Moot Court Competition and thinking that Ted would be proud. He also enjoyed competing in the Traynor Appellate Moot Court Competition on behalf of SJCL and serving as Editor-in-Chief of the San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review.

Grace wanted to be a lawyer since she was five years old watching Perry Mason. She worked for Baradat & Edwards, then Baradat & Paboojian, for a total of sixteen years. She began as a file clerk, then a paralegal during her undergraduate education and law school, and finally as an Associate. In 2011, she joined Walters & Moshrefi until opening her own practice in 2013. Grace’s practice is 60% plaintiff personal injury work, including auto accident, slip and fall, and some product liability cases. The other 40% of her practice is consumer bankruptcy. “Law school is not memorization and regurgitation. In Torts, I learned the analysis process which helped my learning process throughout the rest of law school”

John’s first career was as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army working in Military Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and System Integration and Maintenance. A desire to be his own boss, inspired John to use his G.I. Bill benefits to attend law school. “When you wake up at 6am in a war zone, getting shot at, and getting paid minimum wage, it really puts the stress of law school into context. I never really stressed about law school.”

Mike always wanted to go to law school but had not the opportunity nor the right timing. During law school he worked as an EEOC Investigator and decided to continue with that work after graduating and passing the bar exam. In his work, he deals with Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act every day. He enjoys helping people facing civil rights violations and employment discrimination. “Law school is a blur – working all week then trying to complete the course work on weekends. I made great friendships that last to this day.”

Joy’s interest in law began when she volunteered as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for foster children. She saw that the kids served by this department deserved more good attorneys and enrolled in law school with the sole purpose of becoming a lawyer in the Dependency Unit at the District Attorney’s Office. When, during her last year of law school, the Dependency Unit went from the County to a private firm, Joy joined the Health Team at CCLS. As a former EMT, she had a terrific foundation to build on and she has remained in that department since. Joy says she most enjoys working outside of “Big Law” where a client’s ability to pay has no impact on the assistance she provides. “I can take the knowledge and skills I’ve learned and use them to make a real difference in the lives of people who otherwise would not have any help or representation.”

Bill enrolled at SJCL soon after returning from his second deployment as a Navy strike-fighter pilot in the Vietnam War; and continued flying as a Naval Aviator through law school. He clerked as a certified law student for two firms and tried several jury trials. His early years of private practice included use of his aerospace engineering background in products liability and aviation law, other plaintiff's and defense litigation, and eminent domain law. He then served as Assistant City Attorney for five years handling condemnation trial and appellate work, together with land use and environmental litigation. In the mid-80’s he joined the Motschiedler firm where he has remained for 32 years. He received a Presidential appointment in 2004 and served as a member of the National Veterans Business Development Corporation. Currently he represents agricultural, commercial, and industrial enterprises whose properties are being taken and damaged by the high speed rail project. Bill also farms red sweet cherries on the Kings River. He and Linda, married 48 years, have three children and five grandchildren. At SJCL, he enjoyed the comradery among students, winning the Moot Court with study partners Gary Austin and John Dicks, and studying under the exemplary mentors of the Central Valley legal community, including the late Hollis Best and Oliver Wanger.

Doug was hired by Ed Hunt as a Deputy District Attorney and worked there for 28 ½ years under three different District Attorneys. He worked in every capacity, including Juvenile Court, sexual assault, major felonies, major narcotics vendor unit, MAGEC, and homicides. In January 2006, he became Chief Deputy District Attorney where he at times supervised multiple units including the felony trial team, domestic violence, rural crime, and prison prosecution units. He has been certified as a criminal law specialist since 1993. Theoretically, Doug retired in November of 2011, but still has been working for seven years half-time as a “retired annuitant”. He routinely teaches at the Police Academy teaching topics like handling drug arrests and giving courtroom testimony.

Richard was the Director of Transportation and Marketing Services for the California Grape & Tree Fruit League when he observed a labor law attorney in a packing house and was intrigued. He graduated in 1992, passed the bar, and immediately opened his own office in an entirely different area of law. Richard practices estate planning and estate and trust administration, while his wife, Susan Hemb (’04), now handles the family and bankruptcy law that helped begin the practice. Four years ago, they moved the practice to Old Town Clovis where they are quite happy. “Law school was a long hard four years. But by opening my own practice, throughout my professional life, I have never had to look for a job.”

Growing up, Scott always had an interest in being a lawyer and participated in Mock Trial while in High School. Later, his work in court as a Deputy Probation Officer for Fresno County refueled his interest, leading him to attend SJCL at night. Upon admission to the bar, he went into criminal defense, beginning his legal career with the Caine Law Office. One year later, he moved to the Alternate Defense Office, where he spent the next four years representing conflict cases. Scott then switched fields to Workers’ Compensation defense and worked with Yrulegui & Roberts for two years before joining Coleman Chavez & Associates in March of 2019, where he currently represents insurance companies, employers, and third-party administrators. Scott worked full-time throughout law school and was a father of two young daughters, so his clearest memory of law school is late nights studying after class so he could save some free time for his kids on the weekends.

Deborah was operating her own public relations firm when she developed the overwhelming desire to go to law school. She dove in, interning at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Kahn, Soares & Conway in Hanford. She remained at KSC until joining Walter Wilhelm in 2005. Her practice is trusts and estates, probate, conservatorships, and business transactions. Deborah says, “I received everything I wanted out of law school.”

Tim clerked for David Mugridge while in law school, expecting to become a criminal defense attorney, but a fellow SJCL grad persuaded him to join a workers’ compensation defense firm. Having developed that expertise, in January of 2015 he joined Berry, Smith & Bartell, PC doing plaintiff’s workers’ compensation. He felt that gave him a great opportunity for growth. He finds it extremely satisfying to help families who are in truly dire situations. Tim worked throughout law school. “Having so many responsibilities, taught me discipline and a work ethic.”

After many years working as a Real Estate Broker, Lance entered law school planning to practice real estate law. In addition to his extensive focus on real estate, his practice includes business and civil litigation, probate and wills, personal injury, and business and joint venture formations. “In law school you see crazy hypos (hypotheticals) designed to make you think differently – to see both sides of the story.  Real Property Professor Sally Perring covered fine points of law saying, ‘You will never see this in practice.’ I see them every day!”

Catarina practices real estate, bankruptcy, and family law. She opened her own firm in 2009, following the financial crisis. During that time, Catarina saw a need for helping those who would not otherwise receive representation by assisting those who were struggling with their finances, facing foreclosure, and just making ends meet. From there, she expanded her practice to handling eviction and family law matters. Her plan was a temporary one, but she soon became very busy and expanded her offices to include Clovis and Madera. Catarina continues to credit the relationships she made at SJCL for helping the continued success of her practice.

Kris started working in the legal field at the age of 16 with Kahn, Soares & Conway. She then decided to be a legal secretary, then became a paralegal in 1988. In 1993, she joined in establishing the Dooley & Herr firm and set her sights on law school. She completed the three-year program while working 50 hours a week and promptly passed the bar. She continued working with Dooley & Herr as an Associate. To keep life from becoming boring, in 1999, she gave birth to triplets. Six years ago, as her children were entering their high school years, she opened a satellite office of the firm in Hanford. Her practice consists of trust litigation, estate planning, wills, trusts and probate, conservatorships, and adoptions as well as a wide variety of transactional work. As to law school, Kris remembers late night studying with her best law school compadre, Melissa White. The two of them did cartwheels in the parking lot when Professor Artenian posted their passing grades in Remedies, as it meant their law school days were done! Kris sits on the Board of Directors of CASA of Kings County.

Kristina attained her law degree from SJCL and an MBA from Fresno State in 2015. She worked as a law clerk at Jacobson, Hansen & McQuillan after graduating from law school, where she was hired as an associate after passing the Bar Exam. Kristina is currently employed at CSAA Insurance Group and serves as the SJCL Alumni Association President. On April 18, 2020, she will celebrate the 20th anniversary of ShoeBox Sharing, Inc. a community-based organization that donates to children locally and in Armenia.

Joe did Mock Trial in Boy Scouts which was led by Magistrate Dennis Beck. He enjoyed the intellectual challenge and the feeling he could help people with law. “Also, I flunked Calculus, so I couldn’t be an engineer.” From his first year of law school, he worked full-time as a law clerk at Cole Fisher, appearing in Workers’ Compensation Court 3-4 days a week. Upon passing the July bar, he became an associate with the firm and a partner in 2005. Joe became a Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist in 1998. The firm represents injured workers and works to dovetail benefits and Social Security rights to maximize injured plaintiffs’ resources. “I remember Jan teaching us in Torts how to think through exam writing. Our study group – Albert Ramirez, Mario DiSalvo, Dennis Gaab, John Rorabaugh and I took law school very seriously and met regularly.”

In college, Michelle was helping her boyfriend study for the logic games portion of the LSAT. He convinced her to take a practice test and, when she outscored him, he encouraged her to consider law school. After she moved back to the Central Valley, she began working as a legal secretary for a family friend who was opening her own practice where her interest in law was further piqued. Eventually the practice began sharing space with Melanie Aldridge and Michelle worked for both attorneys. Ultimately, she was the legal secretary/paralegal/law clerk for Melanie and became an associate upon passing the bar. Michelle’s practice is transactional work in estate planning, business, real estate and water law and serves clients primarily involved in agribusiness as well as a few public agencies. “I grew up in agriculture and my husband farms, so this has always felt like a good fit. Law school was challenging but taught me entirely new levels of discipline and hard work. It really caused to me grow as an individual.”

Frank opened his own firm briefly upon passing the bar, but in September of 1995 joined the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office. He enjoyed being in trial constantly. That led him to work with Marderosian, Swanson, Oren & Paboojian in January of 1997. Frank had subsequent stints with the Fresno County Counsel, Farmers Insurance, and the McLaughlin Sullivan firm, before he finally returned to his sweet spot – solo practice – in 2007. Frank’s practice includes plaintiff’s personal injury, ag litigation, business litigation, lemon law cases, and Americans with Disabilities Act issues. He remembers sitting through Constitutional Law with Professor Purvis for almost an entire academic year not understanding a word that was said, until it finally clicked in the last month of class.

Marla was working for the State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento when she became intrigued by the legal issues involved in their hearings. Beginning at the end of her third year, she clerked with Perez, Williams, Medina & Rodriguez and became an Associate in December of 2013. “One part of law practice that I really enjoy is seeing how Civil Procedure applies and works in real life situations.” Marla represents plaintiffs in personal injury, employment, wage and hour, discrimination, retaliation, and elder abuse cases. “I miss the study groups in law school. It was fun to sit around arguing about concepts like how many causes of action we could find in an old Torts exam. I don’t miss the heavy books.”

Susan was the first woman elected to a County-wide political office when she became the Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters. “Law School changed my life.  It taught me to think differently and was important to my success in politics.  As Clerk, I understood Court procedures and on the Board of Supervisors, I was able to serve as a resource for the Board.”

Chris went to law school to help plaintiffs who might otherwise not have their rights protected. Throughout law school he worked with Georgeson & Belardinelli and joined the firm as an Associate upon admission to the bar. He handled primarily personal injury and business litigation, becoming a partner in 2012. In 2014, he won a $128,610,000 verdict in a land and water dispute in Kings County. It was one of the largest jury verdicts in California in that year. In late 2014, he joined Kabatcheck, LLP in Los Angeles continuing his work in personal injury litigation, class actions, and insurance bad faith cases. He became a partner there in 2017. “What do I remember about law school? Meeting my wife there!” Chris married fellow graduate Alexandra Belardinelli Noyes (’09) who is currently “inactive” raising their two sons in their home in San Marino

Upon graduation, Carol worked with Michele Belanger-McNair doing plaintiff’s personal injury cases, but was encouraged to practice in the criminal defense arena by the Honorable Hollis G. Best who was the US Magistrate in Yosemite and who knew of her many years as a NPS Park Ranger there. In 1999 she opened her own practice doing exclusively criminal defense, first sharing space with Trudi Manfredo and Dorothy Carroll for 12 years, and then on her own. Carol says, “I love working for myself ~ I am the best boss ever.” Carol helps organize Law Day Yosemite each year where four hundred eighth graders from the rural areas surrounding Yosemite come to the Park to learn about the Rule of Law, participate in an essay contest, and enjoy lunch outside in the scenic splendor of Yosemite Valley.

Sara worked for 14 years as a Research Attorney at the Fifth District Court of Appeal.  She left to devote her time to serving on the Fresno County Board of Education.  She then worked for Sagaser, Franson & Jones, until she opened her own practice where she specialized in CEQA cases, appellate cases, civil rights litigation, and foreclose defense.  She has been counsel on a number of published cases including a recent win before the California Supreme Court. In May of 2016, she became the Director of Litigation and Advocacy at CCLS and now serves as the Supervising Attorney of the Housing Team.  As to law school, Sara remembers adopting Ms. Palsgraf - a dog Jan found, competing in the statewide Traynor Moot Court Competition with Joby Dupuis, having a baby, and jumping the fence at the Shields building to get to the doughnut shop on breaks.

Robert attributes the discipline and experience he gained during his first two careers in business and real estate to help him breeze through law school.  He uses his 40 years of hands-on experience and insider knowledge to great effect in matters relating to his practice areas of real estate, business, and civil litigation.  “Becoming an attorney teaches you new ways of thinking.”  

Sam was always interested in practicing law. He clerked with the Fresno Public Defender’s Office during law school. Upon admission to the Bar, he worked with John Barker & Associates (now Richard A. Ciummo & Associates) as a public defender. In 2013 he transferred to the Ciummo office in Alturas, California to be closer to family. In 2018 he ran for District Attorney of Modoc County, challenging the incumbent and won! “There was a need for a change. It was fun knocking on doors and participating in debates.” Sam remembers starting law school at the Shields campus, an old strip-mall office building, but graduating from the Clovis campus.

Rebekah knew she wanted to further her education and was looking for a career that would enable her to help people. She worked during law school and for three years thereafter as an Associate at the Immigration Law Office in Clovis. She then worked for nearly two years as Minor’s Attorney at Fresno Child Advocates practicing dependency law. She transitioned to a position at the Fresno County Office of the County Counsel representing the Department of Social Services in dependency matters. Recently her assignment has changed to advising the Elections Office and the Grand Jury. “I remember being stressed out in law school, but the students always helped and encouraged each other.”

Ever since he was seven years old, John wanted to be a lawyer. He enrolled at McGeorge School of Law but was pulled out by the draft in the 1970’s and became an intelligence officer. Eventually he was readmitted to McGeorge, but when he and his wife married, he transferred to SJCL. While in law school, John was operating a private investigation business and a document shredding business, while also helping to run the family farm. He says it was challenging, with no social life and no study group. The businesses grew rapidly, so John never got to actually practice law, but “his law degree was invaluable, particularly in the investigations business.” He became a full-time partner in the farming business in 1995 and sold Loss Protections and Investigations in 2018. John began The Mill at Kings River in 2015 producing olive oil. Look for Cullen Creek or Sprouts’ California Olive Oil.

While in law school, William worked full-time as a law clerk with Lang Richert & Patch, doing consumer collection work. From 2007–2012, he did commercial collections for Coleman & Horowitt. At the same time, he was attending California State University Fresno obtaining a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. In 2012 he joined Pascuzzi, Pascuzzi & Stoker where he handles real estate and business-related cases. William has been teaching since 2013 in the Department of Finance & Business at CSUF where he also participates in the Laval Mentorship Program. William balances his life by serving on a myriad of non-profit boards – Central California Legal Services (currently President), Fresno County Bar Association, Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, La Raza Lawyers, and Family Leadership. “My non-profit work gives me the satisfaction of helping people who can’t afford lawyers. My teaching lets me directly impact the futures of Fresno youth.”

Five years as a middle school teacher led Ramon to heed the advice of a former college professor and enroll in law school. He clerked at the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office during his last two years and then joined the Yarra Law Group upon his admission to the bar. Ramon worked in immigration law there for three years before joining Lazaro Salazar Law, Inc. Ramon continues his focus on immigration law with cases ranging from naturalization to removal defense against the ever-changing backdrop of immigration law. He has also begun to work in criminal defense, which he says allows him to play a small role in helping hard working individuals achieve their goals. Ramon says graduation from SJCL was one of his most memorable moments as he was able to finally share the rewards of all the hard work with his family and classmates.

Carla was a high school teacher looking for a more challenging career when she entered law school. She clerked for Wilson, Altschule & Wittig, on a thrilling death penalty case, but stayed upon graduation to do family law. Four years later, when the Tulare County Family Law Facilitator’s office was formed, she was drawn to it because it incorporated teaching and law practice. Carla ran that very successful program for 20 years. After “retiring” from the Court, Carla worked with C.D. Harbottle’s (‘90) office in Visalia. In July of 2019, she joined Kahn, Soares & Conway continuing her family law involvement. Carla remembers their study group (Rissa Stuart (’93), Linda Bacon (’93), Mary Jarvis(’94)) and watching Mary waive the three of them off to take the bar exam. Carla was a member of the SJCL Tax Law Moot Court Competition team that won 1st Place Brief and Carla won 1st Place Oralist at the competition in Florida in 1993. Carla raised six children, but now that they are grown, she had to fill the empty nest somehow. Now she has six-plus goat-children that make her laugh every day.

Bryce competed for three years in Mock Trial at Redwood High School in Visalia. Then a guidance counselor at College of the Sequoias recommended law as a possible career goal, and it stuck! Upon passing the bar in 2009, Bryce worked with Patricia Lee and Jack Revill serving the Southeast Asian and Hmong communities doing family law, civil litigation, and criminal law for approximately three years. Bryce then worked in Workers’ Compensation defense firms for several years before joining State Compensation Insurance Fund in March of 2019. “I think our class had an exceptionally strong sense of camaraderie. I remain in a contact with many of them.”

Todd’s father always talked to him about being a lawyer without suggesting that Todd become one. Coupled with his golf scores (he is very good), that pushed him towards law. For more than 15 years after graduation, Todd worked with Emerson, Corey & Barsotti doing insurance defense. He discovered representing the plaintiff seemed attractive because one was actually doing some good for an individual. Todd is a sole practitioner and has been inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He handles employment litigation, primarily for employees. Todd remembers the little old Shields building and having to jump over the brick wall in the parking lot on breaks to go for donuts and coffee in the shopping center next door.

Cheryl went to law school because she was tired of the family businesses being sued. They were hit twice by serial ADA lawsuit attorneys who swept through Fresno filing suit, then asking for payment to dismiss the suits. “Since I went to law school, the businesses have never been sued again for any reason.” Upon graduation and passing the bar, Cheryl worked briefly with several firms, but ultimately opened her own practice. For the last 15 years, she has exclusively handled family law and estate planning matters. “Dean Pearson warned us the first night that we would be lost for some time during the first year. One day in the second semester, I was staring at the negligence flowchart for Torts and suddenly everything fell into place.”

As a young man, Jody was encouraged by friends, family, and his 8th grade teacher to go to law school. While there, he studied hard with his brother Gary Winter, externed with the Fifth District Court of Appeal, and clerked with Gilmore, Wood, Vinnard & Magness, quickly learning he gravitated towards litigation. After the bar exam, he became an Associate with the firm. Jody practiced civil litigation, doing business and real property related cases, with fellow SJCL alumni Scott Jones. In January of 2012, Jody opened Lloyd Winter, P.C. where he has continued to practice in those areas, and is now joined by two other attorneys, including another fellow alum, Sean Fredin. Jody remembers law school as a whirlwind of information coming at you like a fire hose. “I feel very blessed, and I use what I learned in Contracts, Torts, Remedies, Civ Pro, and Real Property, every day.”

A lifelong interest in serving humanity has lead Alicia to five separate degrees in higher education, and what she considers the perfect career. Her solo consumer law practice is well served by her experience in computer science, quality and compliance for medical devices, peacemaking and conflict resolution, comparative religious studies, and restitution and restoration through a Victim Offender Reconciliation Program. “Consumer law provides me the opportunity to help people who are being taken advantage of and nurture my desire to fight for the underdog. I come to work every day and learn something new.”

From a young age, Scott gravitated toward law in order to help people who would otherwise not have representation. He clerked during law school for Perez, Makasian & Williams, then was hired on after passing the bar exam and worked with the firm for a total of 17 years. His focus was personal injury, product liability and Workers’ Compensation. He was trying cases within 60 days of passing the bar and learned a great deal about trial preparation. In 2006, he joined Craig Davis’ (’88) firm, ultimately purchasing the firm from Craig. He now represents plaintiffs in personal injury, medical malpractice, and Workers’ Compensation cases, employing a staff of eight paralegals and support staff. “In first year of law school, I could not understand in Torts why anyone would care about what color banana peels were on the floor and had no idea what Judge Wanger was talking about in Civil Procedure until I began studying for finals. Now, ironically I use both areas of law in practice every day.”

Chris joined Miles, Sears & Eanni as an Associate immediately upon graduating from SJCL and became a partner two years ago. His practice is entirely plaintiff personal injury and wrongful death, involving primarily motor vehicle accidents and premises liability, along with uninsured/underinsured motorist arbitrations and occasional medical malpractice. His interest in the law stemmed from the stories he heard growing up from his father about his personal injury cases and the injured clients he helped, which made it seem like gratifying work. In every year since 2012, he has been selected for inclusion in the Northern California Rising Stars list. “Law school was pretty enjoyable but the bar was horrible.”

Chester took the LSAT as an undergrad while finishing his Civil Engineering degree. He had to work for two years as a Civil Engineer to get his license, so law school was not an immediate option. When he and is wife moved to Clovis, “lo and behold there was a small law school here that made becoming a lawyer possible.” Chester started at Peel & Garcia while awaiting bar results, then worked successively with Ericksen Arbuthnot and McCormick Barstow until he found the perfect opportunity with David Overstreet in January of 2019. His work is primarily the defense of public entities in cases involving dangerous conditions of public property, inverse condemnation, contract claims, and police matters. His Civil Engineering background has proven highly useful, enabling him to speak the same language with his clients. Chester was published in Volume 20 of the San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review and served as Production Editor for Volume 21.

According to Jo Anne’s mother, Jo Anne always said she was going to be a lawyer. Mom would confirm she always argued with her parents. During law school, Jo Anne clerked with Jory, Peterson, Watkins & Smith. Immediately upon passing the bar, she joined the Madera County Public Defender’s Office. “Every new lawyer should work with the D.A. or P.D. It teaches you everything you need to know about the practice of law.” Jo Anne then worked in civil litigation with Farley, Seng & DiSantos for a year before joining Goldman, Magdalin & Krikes, LLP in January 2004. Jo Anne’s practice is Workers’ Compensation defense with rare appellate work. Jo Anne’s first year was at the Shields building where the back of the building was affectionately known as the Wailing Wall, especially after finals. Jo Anne and her two children were part of the Lifetime show Dance Moms for three years 2013-2015, filming all over the country.

Jarrett admired his father, Phillip Cline, saw how seriously he took his job, and wanted to do the same. In law school, he clerked with Bourdette & Partners in Visalia on plaintiff personal injury and criminal defense cases and with Myers & Mayfield, doing insurance defense. With that diverse background and wanting trial experience, he joined the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, where he has remained. He has worked everything from agricultural crimes to home invasions, now doing major narcotics and asset forfeiture cases. “My study group in law school of Joe Arnold, Kim Madayag, Darin Powell, and Steve Koch camped out in a classroom and went over and over Joe’s flashcards.”

Elizabeth went to law school so she could help make a positive impact on the agricultural industry. While at SJCL, she clerked for three years as a certified law clerk at Hammerschmidt Broughton Law, where she gained valuable courtroom experience. Upon passing the bar, she joined Emerson Church Law. The firm’s primary wheelhouse is insurance defense. Elizabeth handles cases ranging from simple auto collisions to large multi-million-dollar personal injury and property damage cases. A large portion of her practice consists of agriculturally-based litigation, including crop loss, tractor and equipment-related accidents, big-rig accidents, and animal injury cases. She is the sole handling attorney on all construction defect and habitability cases in her office. Elizabeth has served on the Fresno County Women Lawyers Board of Directors, including as Vice-President. She is grateful to Rayma Church, a 2018 SJCL Hall of Fame inductee, for giving her the opportunity to grow rapidly as a lawyer. As to law school, she fondly remembers the hard work it took to get her law review comment published in the San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review.

Peter hoped a law degree would lead to a college professorship and it did! In 1983, he was hired into the new position of Alumni Relations at Fresno Pacific University. A year later he was teaching Business Law to undergraduates. For many years, he ran the Grants and Research Office at FPU while continuing to teach. After a two-year stint as the head of human resources, he taught full-time in the School of Business for both undergraduates and graduates, as well as being the sole undergraduate business advisor. In August of 2015, Peter became the Program Director and Chair of the Paralegal Studies Program at Fresno City College, but still teaching! “It’s fun communicating law to non-lawyers!” As to law school, Peter says “I developed very close relationships with my classmates. You can’t survive law school without that!”

In the 6th grade, Keith’s class was required to research 3 possible careers and choose one. He chose law. He commuted from Hanford and ran his own business during law school. Keith worked for five years with the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, then twelve years with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. His prosecutorial focus was homicides, gang crimes, and narcotics violations. In Tulare County he was the sole prosecutor handling gang crimes. In January of 2015, he was elected the Kings County District Attorney, and is now in his second term. Over the years, he has handled 90 – 100 trials. His work now is largely administrative with occasional major trials. The office handles more than 10,000 cases a year. The workload is immense, but Keith loves what he does.

At the time Kathy was looking for a Liberal Arts graduate degree, SJCL was one of the very few options in the Fresno area. Upon graduation, she worked for the Fresno County Public Defender for 6 and ½ years. A three-year stint with Barry Bennett followed handling criminal and labor law cases. In January of 1988, Kathy opened her own offices but her practice remained in those fields. Kathy is most proud of two things: the 25-30 appeals she has handled in the Third District and Fifth District Court of Appeal or Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the death penalty clients whose sentences she got commuted to life or life in prison. Kathy has always loved travel and hiking. She has published many a story about those pursuits in the Dicta and the Fresno County Bar Bulletin. As to law school she appreciated the “great comradery. We were all in it together with a common goal.”

Shelli was working in retail management and wanted a career that would offer her more autonomy. During law school she worked for Henry Logoluso & Blum, the Fifth District Court of Appeal and the Federal Defender’s Office. In December of 2001, immediately after receiving her bar results, Shelli was hired as an Associate with Stammer McKnight and has been there ever since. She became a Partner in 2007. Her work is primarily civil defense litigation and family law. Shelli appreciated Professor Purvis’ humor and found the study of law fascinating. She loved the challenge of coming up with as many issues as possible during exam time. “The students were supportive of each other and the alumni is supportive as well.”

Jennifer worked as a paralegal for many years before becoming an attorney. Immediately upon being sworn-in in 1999, she opened her own practice. Her first client had waited a month for her to be licensed to represent him in a custody dispute, which was such an honor for her, and that client sends her an annual Christmas photo of he and his now grown son. Jennifer initially thought she wanted to be a real estate litigator because she had so enjoyed Sally Perring’s Real Property class, but very quickly her practice transitioned to family law, and so it has remained. In practicing family law, she has learned that “All people are generally caring and ultimately want the same things in life. I try to guide them through what can be a very difficult time with hope and positivity regardless of their circumstances.” As to law school, “Fear was a big motivator. You live an experience only another law student can understand, but going to SJCL forever changed my life in a positive way.”

Kirsten insures that the University abides by California State University policies and all applicable state and federal regulations related to recruitment and hiring at Fresno State. She serves as the EEO Officer and COI Officer, monitoring affirmative action and conflict of interest policies. She is the ADA Compliance Officer insuring ADA accommodations are legally provided for faculty and staff. Since graduating from law school, Kirsten practiced at Parker, Kern, Nard and Wenzel in employment and Workers’ Compensation defense and McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte and Carruth in personal injury and medical malpractice defense. She also worked at Dooley, Herr, Pedersen and Bailey, representing Tulare District Hospital and other public entities. As an adjunct, Kirsten has taught paralegal courses at Fresno City College. Kirsten has been a member of Fresno State’s administration since 2014. Kirsten was in law school during SJCL’s move to the new building and was excited for the school’s opportunity for growth. “Having both a Masters of Business Administration and a Juris Doctor is crucial to my job. Plus, I rely on my different practice experiences to tackle the challenges of my job every day.”

Upon returning home after graduating from USC, Vanessa went to work as a secretary/paralegal with Robyn Esraelian. Vanessa found she was interested in the estate planning and probate work Robyn was doing. During law school Vanessa clerked with Kimble, MacMichael & Upton and became an Associate there upon entering the Bar in 2005. When the firm closed, five of its attorneys opened a new firm – Moss, Tucker, Chiu, Hebesha & Ward – which Vanessa joined. When that firm closed in March of 2018, Vanessa joined Richardson, Jones & Esraelian. Her work has consistently been in estate planning and probate. “I entered law school dreading school, but found I enjoyed engaging with the professors. In particular, I loved Professor Purvis’ Constitutional Law class even though we had widely differing opinions. Law school had a long-term impact on my life: it refined my analytical mind.”

“As far back as I can remember I wanted to be a lawyer.” During law school Carey was on Law Review and went on to serve as the Managing Editor. She also clerked for two years with the United States Attorney’s Office. Upon passing the bar in 2010, Carey started at State Compensation Insurance Fund. Counsel there handle any insurance claims for which State Fund requires legal representation. Carey likes the variety her position offers, including research, depositions, and court appearances. “It is a fast-paced environment but also provides a good work/life balance.” Carey liked the close-knit, more personal environment of SJCL and the great friendships she made while in law school.

A love for his father and grandfather’s “Great Generation” in addition to the Perry Mason TV show inspired Kevin’s lifelong plan to become an attorney. After gaining experience working with Maury Scherer and Jerry Tahajian, Kevin opened a practice with Rex Haught in 1991. With their focus on estate and Medicare planning, they have served many “Great Generation” clients through the years. Although school in general came easy for Kevin, he says he couldn’t wing it in law school. “I am eternally grateful for the opportunity SJCL gave me. I never saw it coming.”

Ella was always fascinated by the law and its continuous evolution: she always wanted to go to law school. She clerked at Dias Law Firm and ultimately became an Associate. Personal injury litigation was her initial focus, but now her work encompasses a wide range of civil litigation, including employment, family, real property, and high-speed rail issues. She does a great deal of research and writing. “I love the firm and the variety of the work I do.” As to law school, her immediate memory was of the great people she worked with in the Library – Jonette Montgomery and Spencer Gong.

Since every business and profession is governed by law, Feras went to law school to get a versatile degree that would give him legal knowledge applicable to any career. He was in healthcare when he started law school. When he graduated he realized that healthcare was where his heart was, so he stayed in a management capacity at Kaiser Permanente, soon being promoted to Director of Operations. A decade later he became Chief Operations Officer for Livingston Community Health, a health clinic system based in Merced, providing primary care services including Adult, Pediatric, OB/GYN, Behavioral Health, and Dental Services. During his tenure the system has grown from six sites to soon to be nine. “As COO, I’m privileged to oversee all aspects of our operations. My law degree has played a critical role in my professional advancement. My critical thinking skills, learning agility, and legal knowledge have made me valuable in leadership. I forged close friendships in law school and learned just how much grit I had in me.”

Bill was just named the California Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorney of the Year by the California Lawyers Association! To think he went to law school just to find a job in a building with air conditioning. Upon graduation, Bill first worked for Eldridge, Anderson & Weakley handling insurance defense cases. From 1997 to 2003, he served as in-house counsel for A&L Products, Inc. doing transactional and corporate compliance work. In 2003, he joined Mullen & Filippi as an Associate, becoming an Associate Partner in 2007. He defends businesses, public agencies, and schools in Workers’ Compensation cases. “I loved law school, the students, staff, and faculty. Purvis was my favorite.” At SJCL, Bill also met his wife, then Michele Creighton, who was the MCLE Coordinator for several years and made the mistake of feeding Bill.

Over the years, Ben has developed an extraordinary legal expertise in human exploitation and trafficking. His career began as a research attorney for the California District Attorney’s Association (CDAA) and from there a Legal and Legislative Consultant to the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST). In August of 2011 he became a Special Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice . In that capacity his team wrote a comprehensive report for the Attorney General entitled, “The State of Human Trafficking in California in 2012.” They also delivered a comprehensive analysis of California’s anti-trafficking law enforcement and victims support response, with recommendations for improvement. Ben has traveled to 12 countries lecturing on human trafficking and trained police forces in 4 countries. He has published 15 articles in national and international journals, some of which have been cited by appellate courts. In addition, Ben served for three years as Staff Counsel for the California Department of State Hospitals conducting involuntary medication & treatment hearings and serving on the Sexually Violent Predator Review Panel. Working as Senior Staff Counsel for the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Marijuana Control, he helped to draft business regulations for the dozens of emerging cannabis industry’s license types contemplated under California law.

During law school, Terry clerked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, D. Mitchell Taylor, and the Fresno District Attorney’s Office. Terry worked for the Stanislaus County D.A. for about 1 ½ years. He returned to Fresno open his own practice in September 1988. After 28 years as a solo practitioner, Terry and David Jones formed Wapner Jones, PC., a 3-attorney law firm in criminal defense. Terry focuses on, and is a specialist in, DUI drug & alcohol cases, having received a designation from the American Chemical Society as a “Lawyer-Scientist”, trained in the scientific aspects of blood and breath testing. He lectures nationally on blood and breath testing and scientific defenses in DUI’s. Terry remembers the first night of Contracts class with Tom Riggs was very laidback, so he volunteered on the first night of Judge Wanger’s Civil Procedure class. He was grilled for 45 minutes and never volunteered in any class again.

Jeff is the principal land use attorney for the City of Sacramento. He advises the City Council and the Planning and Design Commission on all land use matters, including CEQA, floodplain management, historic preservation, assessment districts, and other public financing. He is an updates author for the CEB book California Land Use and Practice. “I was a farm boy, but got tired of lifting heavy objects. I felt I could make better contributions by using my brain and am grateful to SJCL because I could go to law school and keep farming.”

During law school, Steve clerked first with the Public Defender’s Office, then with the District Attorney. Upon graduation, he continued working for the D.A.’s office pending bar results. Once being sworn in, the D.A.’s Office was not hiring at that time, so Steve worked for a civil defense firm and then a criminal defense firm for brief periods. Finally in March of 1998, he was hired as a Deputy District Attorney I. He worked the typical succession of cases from misdemeanors through homicides. In January of 2015, Steve became an Assistant District Attorney overseeing the Homicide, General Felony, and Violent Crime Units, in addition to coordinating the Officer-Involved Shooting/In-Custody Death Team and being the office’s “unofficial” PIO. As to law school, he remembers a very diverse group of students and faculty where “everybody wanted everyone to succeed.”

A love of reading and writing led Aaron to law school. After graduating, he first clerked for Judge Gary Austin (79’) then worked with William Schmidt where he was exposed to a wide variety of cases. In August of 2015, he joined Berg Injury Lawyers in Alameda and gained vital deposition, trial and mediation experience. In June of 2016, he returned to Fresno to join Stammer, McKnight, Barnum & Bailey, LLP where he handles insurance defense, family law, and DUI cases. Aaron remembers constantly studying during law school and is grateful to his family for understanding, and to his study partner, Alicia Hinton, for all the time they spent working through the law together.

As a kid, Shanna lived next to Robert Piacente (’92). He told her that he gets paid to argue and she loved that idea. In high school and college, she competed for her schools’ Mock Trial teams and never wanted to leave the courtroom. When her brother was shot and killed near their childhood home, it cemented her decision to go to law school. While in law school, she worked full-time for Sawl Law Group and coached college Mock Trial. Before leaving to study for the bar, Sawl Law Group moved her into what would be her attorney office so they were sure she would return. She did and she loves it. Shanna handles personal injury and criminal defense cases, including three jury trials in the last year. A murder trial is on the horizon. “I spent a good portion of the first year of law school figuring out what an outline was. After that, I just wanted to get out as fast as I could so I could get into the courtroom.”

Gayle has long conducted her own criminal law practice, but at least as much of her time is spent serving on the Board of Directors of P.E.O. – Philanthropic Educational Organization. This 150-year old organization of women is dedicated to helping women reach for the stars by funding loans, grants & scholarships for women at all levels advancing their education. They have given more than $325 million in scholarships, for which Gayle is very proud.

While awaiting bar results, Marissa externed with U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Beck. She then worked on defense of a major criminal case with Nuttall & Coleman. In August of 1999, she joined Wilkins, Drolshagen & Czeshinski LLP where she has remained. She handles a wide range of civil litigation, primarily insurance defense, including premises liability, motor vehicle, employment, and insurance bad faith cases. As to law school, Marissa remembers A LOT of reading. “I wasn’t a reader when I entered law school, but now I love reading!”