In addition to teaching at Hastings, I am a Deputy Attorney General in the Government Law Section of the California Attorney General’s Office.Iadvise and represent California constitutional officers (e.g., the Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General), and state agencies in complex, high-profile, and hard-to-resolve multidimensional challenges. The primary focus of these challenges touch on federal and state constitutional issues, most of which involve legal action against or in support of legislation, regulations, or policies. For example, challenging the Trump Administration’s ban on transgender military service, defending the Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act, defending AB 51 and prohibitions on forced arbitration, as well as class actions and mass actions in 1983 claims. When a legal advocate, I practice in state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels, with more than two dozen appeals in the last five years. When a legal advisor out of court, I provide advice to executive members and legal staff of state agencies regarding regulations, legislation, and litigation risk mitigation. In addition to advising clients and representing them in court, I lead the Office’s Commission on Judicial Appointments team preparing and advising on the confirmation of California state appellate judges.
Prior to public practice, I spent 15 years in private practice including a judicial clerkship.I focused on consumer class action defense, privacy and data control litigation, business transaction disputes, and product liability litigation, with experience in employment litigation and IP matters. I also provided advice on risk management and litigation avoidance.Prior to that, and before attending New York University School of Law, I spent two years with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps as a firefighter, disaster-relief specialist, teacher, and otherwise assisting communities in need.
I’m an avid traveler, adventurer, and mountaineer. I have climbed six of the “Seven Summits.”
