School of Law Faculty

Our faculty brings a wealth of experience in almost every facet of the law to the classroom. As teacher-practitioners, they also provide up-to-date professional perspectives, as well as commentary on current legal developments. And they all share a commitment to our students - in the classroom and beyond.

Stephanie Adraktas
BA, 1987, Arizona State University
JD, 1990, New York University School of Law
Criminal Defender Clinic Director

Ms. Adraktas is a member of the core faculty of John F. Kennedy University School of Law and director of the law school's Criminal Defender Clinic. She was an Assistant Supervisor in the Felony Division of The Public Defender Association in Seattle, WA, responsible for the day-to-day supervision of 30 felony attorneys. She was also a Senior Trial Attorney with the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, handling felony cases that included controlled substance prosecutions, homicide, and sexual assault. In addition to directing the Criminal Defender Clinic, Ms. Adraktas is currently a Panel Attorney with the Federal Habeas Corpus and Appeals Panels for the Eastern and Central Districts, representing prisoners in federal habeas corpus and habeas corpus appeal proceedings.

Belia Bennett
BS, 1999, St. Mary's College
JD, 2004, Hastings College of the Law
Advanced Legal Writing, Appellate Advocacy

Ms. Bennett is a private tutor for repeat takers of the California Bar Exam in the areas of written analysis, issue spotting, and time management, and is also a consultant for small businesses in the area of employee relations. Ms. Bennett was a district caseworker for Congressman Mike Thompson from 1999-2002 and was a judicial extern for Presiding Justice J. Anthony Kline of the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, in 2003.

Josanna Berkow
BS, 1974, Towson State University
JD, 1977, University of Baltimore School of Law
Jurisprudence

Commissioner Berkow began her legal career as Staff Counsel to U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes of Maryland. Moving to California in 1978, the Commissioner was a Staff Attorney and Hearing Officer for the Federal Labor Relations Authority in San Francisco where she prosecuted unfair labor practice cases and presided over union election disputes. From 1985 -1992, Commissioner Berkow was a Deputy Attorney General for the State of California, working initially on felony appeals then on cases involving child abduction and support. The Attorney General appointed Commissioner Berkow Statewide Coordinator for Child Support and Child Abduction supervising all appeals and representing the Attorney General on public and private policy committees. In 1992, Commissioner Berkow was appointed to the Contra Costa Superior Court bench where she has presided over child custody, child and spousal support, marital property and debt division, paternity and domestic violence disputes for over 15 years. Commissioner Berkow served on the Administrative Office of the Court's Judicial Council Advisory Committee on Family and Juvenile Law from 1998 through 2000, the Judicial Council's Family Law Education Committee from 2000 through 2004 & the Center for Judicial Education and Research Family Law Institute's Planning Committee from 1996 through 2004. Commissioner Berkow chaired the Contra Costa County Advisory Committee Against Domestic Violence from 1995 through 2003. Commissioner Berkow also served on the Board of Directors of Kids Turn, a counseling program for children of divorce and separation, from 2006 through 2008. She has taught extensively through the Center for Judicial Education and Research, the State Bar of California, the Witkin Judicial College, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and the Contra Costa Bar Association and written articles for the Administrative Office of the Courts Journal of the Center for Families, Children and the Courts, the National Family Court Review and the Contra Costa Lawyer.

Carol A. Brown
BA, 1968, University of Southern California
MA, 1977, California State University at Fullerton
JD, 1984, University of Southern California
Professional Responsibility

Ms. Brown has been an Administrative Law Judge with the California Public Utilities Commission since 1999, presiding over hearings on complaints or applications filed with the CPUC and investigations and rulemakings initiated by the CPUC. She was previously Chief Counsel of the Cal-OSHA Appeals Board, supporting Board decisions in writ of mandamus proceedings in superior court and in appeals to appellate courts and the Supreme Court.

Geoffrey F. Brown, Dean
BA, 1964, University of California at Berkeley
JD, 1970, San Francisco Law School
Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence

Dean Brown joined John F. Kennedy University after completing a six-year term on the California Public Utilities Commission, to which he was appointed by then-Governor Gray Davis in 2001. Prior to his term on the PUC, he was the Public Defender for the City and County of San Francisco from 1979-2001, publicly elected to this position six times. He has taught Evidence and Constitutional Law at several Bay Area law schools and sat on the Board of Trustees of San Francisco Law School.

Thomas W. Cain
BA, 1974, University of California at Berkeley
JD, 1979, Golden Gate University
Mediation Skills Training, Comparative Law

Mr. Cain is in private practice, emphasizing mediation and general civil litigation including business, real property, estate litigation, and trust and probate practice. Mr. Cain has lived in Japan and was a visiting scholar for four years at Okayama National University. He is a co-founder of the Congress of Neutrals, a not-for-profit which provides mediation training and conflict management services to the Contra Costa County courts and community.

Madelyn Chaber
BA, 1971, State University of New York at Stony Brook
MA, 1974, Hofstra University
JD, 1979, University of California at Los Angeles
Trial Advocacy

For more than 20 years, Ms. Chaber has represented victims of toxic torts. Since 1981, she has represented approximately 4000 asbestos claimants in third party and bankruptcy proceedings, and has focused largely on the tobacco industry since 1995. She consulted on tobacco and asbestos matters from 2001-2003 and was Of Counsel to Paul, Hanley & Harley, LLP, on asbestos matters from 2003-2007. In addition to her practice, Ms. Chaber has taught advocacy skills to lawyers and law students in various programs through organizations such as NITA, ATLA, CAOC, and USF Law School. Ms Chaber is also the founder of Optimal Energy Leadership International, a service organization teaching leadership skills to high achieving women.

Laurence Chaset
BA, 1968, Brown University
MA, 1972, University of California at Berkeley
JD, 1975, Yale University
Constitutional Law in Context

Mr. Chaset is Staff Counsel for the California Public Utilities Commission, specializing in energy regulation. His responsibilities include representing the CPUC in administrative proceedings at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and in the courts. He was previously Of Counsel to Beveridge & Diamond, LLP; Senior Assistant Counsel for Bay Area Air Quality Management District; Staff Counsel for the California Energy Commission; and Legal Counsel for California Air Resources Board.

Remigius O. Chibueze
LLB, 1992, University of Benin, Nigeria
LLM, 2000, University of Alberta, Canada
LLM, 2003, Golden Gate University
SJD, 2006, Golden Gate University
International Law

Dr. Chibueze is in private practice in Oakland and serves as a consultant to some Nigerian companies with business interests in the United States. Dr. Chibueze teaches Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and SJD Dissertation Seminars at Golden Gate University School of Law. He is a member of the California State Bar and Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He has published academic works in International Commercial Arbitration and International Criminal Law. His research areas include International Criminal Law, International Human Rights Law, International Commercial Arbitration, and International Intellectual Property Law.

Peter W. Clapp
BA, 1969, Columbia University
JD, 1982, Hastings College of the Law
Business Associations, Transactional Document Drafting

Mr. Clapp graduated magna cum laude from Hastings College of the Law in 1982, clerked for one year, and then practiced for 20 years in the Corporate Restructuring Department of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP. He has published articles on pension and retiree benefit claims in bankruptcy and on bankruptcy legislation. Currently, he is Of Counsel to Valle & Associates, a Los Angeles-based litigation firm; serves as part-time, outside general counsel to a manufacturing/distribution company in San Jose; and advises private clients with respect to corporate and restructuring matters.

William Davis
BA, Vanderbilt University, 1971
MBA, 1992, Golden Gate University
LLM, 1992, Golden Gate University
JD, 1991, Golden Gate University
Community Property

Mr. Davis is in private practice, focusing on family law, real estate, business law, taxation, and estate planning. He is also a licensed stockbroker and real estate broker, creating financial plans and advising on real estate deals. Mr. Davis teaches Business Law in the MBA program at the University of Phoenix and Wills and Trusts, Probate, and Contracts for the paralegal program at Cal State East Bay.

Nancy Engle
BA, 1977, California State University, Hayward
JD, 1998, John F. Kennedy University
Introduction to Law, Legal Methods, Constitutional Law

Ms. Engle is an attorney in private practice with an emphasis in the legal needs of non-profit arts organizations and emerging artists. She is an award-winning producer and director and has served as the managing artistic director of the Douglas Morrisson Theatre for over 28 years. She was honored by the School of Law as the Professor of the Year for 2005.

Steven Feller, Law Library Director
JD, 1996, John F. Kennedy University
BA, 2000, University of California at Berkeley
MLIS, 2003, San Jose State University
Electronic Research, Law Review

Before joining JFK University as the Director of the Law Library, Mr. Feller was a reference librarian at Golden Gate University, where he assisted students with on-line research and worked in collection development and facilities planning. Mr. Feller served as a judicial extern for Associate Justice William D. Stein of the California Court of Appeal. He also had a private practice handling criminal appeals and civil cases.

James Ficenec
BA, 1986, California State University, Sacramento
JD, 1989, University of California
Trial Advocacy, Legal Methods, Legal Research and Writing

Mr. Ficenec is a litigation attorney with Sellar, Hazard, Manning, Ficenec & Lai, representing companies and individuals in a wide variety of business matters. He also supervises the firm's probate practice. He has also been a shareholder with Tichell, Maltzman, Mark & Ohleyer (1994-2002), and an associate with Lillick & Charles (1991-1994) and Case & Lynch (1989-1991). He was the Mock Trial coach for Christian Brothers High School in 1993.

Richard A. Frankel
BA, 1972, University of California at Davis
JD, 1982, John F. Kennedy University
Business Associations

Mr. Frankel practices business law with the law firm of Frankel & Goldware, LLP, in San Ramon. He became an attorney after an extensive career in the airline and computer industries where, as a senior executive, he gained wide experience in national and international business transactions. He is on the board of directors of several Contra Costa County civic and non-profit organizations and has served as a hearing officer for Contra Costa and Yolo counties and as president of the Contra Costa County Bar Association. In 2004, Mr. Frankel was the School of Law's Professor of the Year. Mr. Frankel has been elected to a three-year term as Governor of District 3 of the State Bar Board of Governors, beginning in October 2006.

Hope Frye
BA, 1972, Indiana University
JD, 1978, Salmon P. Chase College of Law
Immigration Law

Since 2004, Ms. Frye has been a self-employed immigration counsel, consulting to corporate clients. She previously served as counsel (contract) to AT&T, re-engineering and running their worldwide visa practice, providing advice and counsel on policy. Ms Frye began her legal career with Smith & Schnacke in Dayton, OH, training in complex commercial litigation.

Virginia George
BA, 1981, University of California at Davis
JD, 1984, University of San Francisco
Evidence, Elder Law Clinic Director

Associate Professor George is a member of the core faculty of JFK University School of Law and serves as Director of the university's Elder Law Clinic. Ms. George was formerly in private practice in Walnut Creek, specializing in estate planning, probate, and elder law. She was a deputy district attorney for Contra Costa County for 14 years, prosecuting felony offenders, particularly focusing on sexual assaults committed against children. She prosecuted over 180 criminal trials to verdict. She is past president and current board member emeritus of Contra Costa Senior Legal Services, Board of Directors member of the Contra Costa County Bar Association, and sits on the university's Faculty Senate Executive Committee.

James C. Glassford
BS, 1966, United States Military Academy at West Point
JD, 1974, Golden Gate University
Contracts

Mr. Glassford has been a solo practitioner in Walnut Creek since 1987, handling personal injury cases and general civil litigation, including numerous business and contract disputes. Prior to that time, he was with Naphan & Burge and a partner with Naphan & Glassford, both in Oakland. He was a captain in the United States Air Force until 1970 and received the Bronze Star. He served in the Air Force as a contracting officer, responsible for the formation and administration of government contracts with private companies. These contracts ran the gamut from the construction of a covered basketball court in the jungle at Phu Cat, Vietnam, to the purchase of tons of charcoal.

The Honorable Daniel Hanlon (ret.)
BA, 1962, University of San Francisco
JD, 1964, University of San Francisco
Negotiation, Civil Discovery

Judge Hanlon began his legal career as Legal Officer, U.S. Marine Corps, serving as Regimental Legal Officer at Camp Pendleton and Camp Hanson (Okinawa). He was an associate with Hoberg, Finger, Brown & Abramson from 1967-1972 before serving as Judge for the San Francisco Municipal Court (1972-78). He was an SF Superior Court Judge from 1978-1995 (serving as Presiding Judge for 1988-89) before his appointment to the First Appellate District Court of Appeal (1995-2000). Judge Hanlon is currently with JAMS and is Chair of the California Judges' Association's ADR Committee.

Peter G. Hanson
AB, 1969, San Francisco State University
JD, 1973, Hastings College of the Law
Business Associations

Mr. Hanson began his legal career as a Legislative Advocate for a professional association dealing with the handicapped in Washington, D.C. He was an assistant district attorney for the City of San Francisco. For many years, he was in private practice with an emphasis on commercial and corporate law, estate planning, and land use. He also served as a Legal Advisor to one of five members of the California Public Utilities Commission.

Timothy M. Hyden
BA, 1982, University of California at Davis
JD, 1986, University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law
Business Associations, Constitutional Law, Advanced Torts

Mr. Hyden is in private practice in San Ramon in a civil litigation-based practice, including business and real estate litigation, probate litigation, construction litigation, and family law. He currently also acts as a court-appointed private fiduciary. Mr. Hyden has twice been voted by the law school's students as Professor of the Year.

Charles H. James
AB, 1962, University of California at Berkeley
JD, 1965, University of California at Berkeley
Criminal Procedure

Mr. James is the former Public Defender of Contra Costa County. A highly experienced trial lawyer, he has handled a large number of serious felony matters and was certified as a Specialist in Criminal Law. He has lectured widely on trial tactics and has served on the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa Legal Services Foundation and as president of the California Public Defenders' Association.

Joscelyn C. Jones
BA, 1978, University of Redlands
JD, 1981, University of California at Los Angeles
Criminal Law

Ms. Jones practices criminal defense, juvenile dependency, mental health, and probate matters as a sole practitioner. She serves as a Contra Costa County Temporary Judge in the traffic, small claims, and unlawful detainer court departments and works as an Administrative Hearing Officer in psychiatric facilities. Before going into private practice, Ms. Jones worked as a deputy public defender in Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties for eight and one years respectively and as a Reginald Heber Smith Community Fellow at Solano County Legal Assistance. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa County Bar Association, Contra Costa Legal Services Foundation, and Battered Women's Alternative.

Chris Gus Kanios
BA, 1976, San Francisco State University
JD, 1980, New College of California
Torts, Trial of Socrates, Internship Program Director

Professor Kanios is a full-time member of the School of Law's core faculty. From 1986-1996 he was dean of New College School of Law in San Francisco. He was admitted to practice in California in 1980 and worked in a civil litigation firm specializing in labor law (union side) and plaintiff's personal injury. His innovative, multi-disciplinary course on the Trial of Socrates includes a study/travel component in Greece to visit ancient sites. Professor Kanios currently chairs the Admissions Committee and the Curriculum Committee. He also sits on the university's Faculty Senate Executive Committee.

Ian Kelley
AA, 1996, City College of San Francisco
JD, 2001, New College of California
Constitutional Law, The USA Patriot Act and Issues in National Security

Mr. Kelley has been a member of the Bar since December 2001, during which time he has briefed and argued legal issues from the Department of Motor Vehicles to the California Supreme Court. He litigates across a wide geographic range of State and Federal Courts in California and the Western States, while maintaining a private practice in San Francisco with mixed criminal and civil emphasis.

Sara Klein
BA, 1985, Middlebury College
JD, 1990, Hastings College of the Law
Intellectual Property

Ms. Klein is an attorney with TKlein Associates, Inc., a part-time general commercial and intellectual property practice emphasizing trade secret law, employment law, trademark counseling, and software licensing transactions. She was previously a contract attorney with Gap, Inc., drafting and negotiating trademark license agreements, service agreements, and online affiliate agreements. Ms. Klein was also Corporate Counsel and Senior Corporate Counsel for Genentech, Inc. and an associate with Baker & McKenzie.

The Honorable William Kolin
BA, 1970, Northern Illinois University
JD, 1974, Chicago-Kent College of Law
Evidence, Juvenile Law

Judge Kolin was in private practice from 1974-1994. He has served as a Judge for Contra Costa County since 1994 and has been assigned to the Juvenile Division for six years.

The Honorable David M. Krashna
AB, 1971, University of Notre Dame
JD, 1974, University of California at Berkeley
Drugs, Courts and Society

Judge Krashna serves on the Superior Court of Alameda County and was previously a Commissioner of that court. Prior to his election, he practiced law as a legal services attorney and as a private attorney specializing in criminal defense, personal injury, and civil rights. Judge Krashna teaches various classes at the California Center for Judicial Education and Research, B.E. Witkin Judicial College of California, and the National Judicial College. He serves as a member of the Alameda County Superior Court ACCESS Committee, and presides in the Oakland Drug Courts.

Christopher Lamerdin
BA, 1989, University of California at Davis
JD, 1992, Santa Clara University
MBA, 2004, University of San Francisco
Advanced Legal Writing

Mr. Lamerdin is a Deputy Attorney General for the state in the ERA Section, where he's responsible for all aspects of civil litigation as well as administrative hearings. Mr. Lamerdin has 15 years experience in civil litigation.

Shelly Mendelson Landon
BA, 2000, University of California at Davis
JD, 2006, John F. Kennedy University School of Law
Advanced Legal Writing

Ms. Landon is an attorney with Private Defender's Program in San Mateo County, where she represents minors in juvenile delinquency proceedings and indigent criminal defendants in adult criminal proceedings. While in law school, Ms. Landon was a law clerk for the Contra Costa County Public Defender's Office, where her responsibilities included researching legal issues, drafting motions and memorandums for various attorneys, and conducting client intake interviews. She was also a law clerk for Contra Costa County Superior Court, Juvenile Court, researching juvenile law issues, drafting memorandums, and observing the courtroom calendars of all the Juvenile departments.

Bridgit Lawley
BA, 1975, LaSalle University
MA/ABD, 1980, San Francisco State University
JD, 1989, Hastings College of the Law
Civil Procedure, Art Law, Creating a Solo Practice

Professor Lawley is a full-time core faculty member. She has been admitted to practice in California and Washington. After working as a judicial extern for Federal District Court Judge Thelton E. Henderson, Ms. Lawley devoted five years of her practice to the issues of domestic violence and child abuse. During the last 10 years, Ms. Lawley has also taught a variety of law courses at Golden Gate University, New College of California, San Francisco Law School, and Lincoln Law School in San Jose. Currently, Ms. Lawley chairs the School of Law Student Conduct Committee and is the school's representative on the university's Program Review Council on educational effectiveness. She is also the School of Law's representative to the Editorial Board of the Contra Costa County Bar Association. Prof. Lawley was honored as Professor of the Year in 2000 and 2003.

Susanne Lea
BA, 1969, University of California at Berkeley
JD, 1984, University of California at Berkeley
Appellate Advocacy

Ms. Lea has been with the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, since 1987. Currently, she is lead appellate court attorney for Justice Timothy A. Reardon. Prior to her work with the Court of Appeal, Ms. Lea was an associate attorney with Cooley Godward (1984-1987), a summer associate with Landels, Ripley & Diamond (1983), and a summer associate with Crosby, Heafey (1982).

Jonathan U. Lee
AB, 1987, Washington University
JD, 1990, Georgetown University Law Center
Trial Advocacy

Mr. Lee is an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of California, Civil Division, where he defends the United States and its employees in a wide spectrum of disputes, including tort and employment discrimination actions, in all phases of litigation including trial and appeal. From 2000-2005, he was a Deputy City Attorney, Trial Team, City and County of San Francisco, defending the City and its employees in tort, civil rights, and contract matters. Before entering the public sector, he practiced commercial and insurance litigation with the San Francisco law firm Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft. Mr. Lee has extensive civil trial experience in both bench and jury trials.

David Levin
BA, 1985, University of California at Berkeley
JD, 1990, University of San Francisco

Mr. Levin practices in the field of trusts and estates law. He focuses on estate planning, trust and estate administration, litigation and mediation of trust and estate controversies; and he advises business owners on wealth transfer issues. Mr. Levin is co-chair of the Trust and Estates Administration committee for the Alameda County Bar Association and is a member of the East Bay Estate Planning Council.

Paul T. Lufkin
BA, 1986, University of California at Santa Barbara
JD, 1989, University of California at Berkeley
Constitutional Law, Introduction to Immigration Law & Policy, Immigration Clinic

Mr. Lufkin is a Staff Attorney with the Civil Central Staff at the Supreme Court of California. Formerly, he practiced civil litigation with Morrison & Foerster (San Francisco) and Mori Sogo Law Offices (Tokyo). He has published and taught at McGeorge School of Law in the field of Immigration and Nationality Law and, at John F. Kennedy University School of Law, on constitutional and litigation topics. Elsewhere, his publications center in the field of asylum and refugee law. Presently, he volunteers as Managing Editor of the treatise Law of Asylum in the United States (by Prof. Deborah Anker of Harvard Law School). He is a member of the State Bar of California, the Environmental Protection Information Center (Garberville) and the Tibet Justice Center (Berkeley).

Teresa Jenkins Main
BA, 1975, Stanford University
JD, 1985, Santa Clara University
Wills and Trusts, Transactional Document Drafting

Ms. Main is a sole practitioner in Oakland, practicing in the areas of estate planning, probate, trust administration, and probate and trust litigation. Prior to opening her own practice, Ms. Main was a partner in Bell, Rosenberg & Hughes, LLP, where she specialized in legal research and writing, supporting lead attorneys in commercial litigation matters. Ms. Main is Of Counsel to Brule & Rooney, LLP, in Danville, and Tremain & Hoffman LLP in Oakland. She serves on the board of directors of BIG TEAM Regatta, a non-profit corporation that supports sailing programs for disadvantaged youth and adaptive sailors.

Christopher Martz
BA, 1997, Bard College
JD, 2007, New College of California
Civil Procedure

Mr. Martz is in private practice, specializing in landlord-tenant and juvenile law. He also works as a mediator and leads workshops and trainings in conflict resolution.

Tina Miller, Technical Services Librarian
BA, 1979, University of San Diego
MLIS, 1995, San Jose State University

Ms. Miller maintains the online catalog and supervises the processing of library materials. She also provides reference service and participates in collection maintenance. Before coming to JFK University, Ms. Miller worked as a law firm librarian and as evening circulation supervisor at the University of San Diego Legal Research Center.

Jane Bond Moore
AB, 1959, Spelman College
JD, 1975, University of California at Berkeley
Employment Law, Gender and the Law

Jane Bond Moore has worked in private practice and for both the federal and local governments. She served as both deputy general counsel and general counsel for the Oakland Unified School District. She maintains a private practice in Oakland handling employment law matters.

Susan Morgan
BA, 1975, University of California at Los Angeles
MA, 1977, University of California at Los Angeles
JD, 1998, Santa Clara University
Business Associations

Ms. Morgan is an attorney and former entrepreneur, specializing in business start-ups, private company governance, financing, securities regulation, and business agreements. She is CEO and General Counsel for Equilytics, Inc., a start-up company that produces tools for private equity analysis. Ms. Morgan worked as an attorney for seven years in the corporate group of a large Silicon Valley law firm, in which she focused on counseling private companies. Her practice areas include incorporations, board resolutions and governance, stock issuances, equity plans and option issuances, financings, securities compliance, business and commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property protection.

Genevieve S. Orta
BS, 1990, Syracuse University
JD, 1996, University of San Francisco
Community Property, Wills and Trusts

Ms. Orta is a partner with Osterloh & Orta, LLP. Her practice focuses on advising clients regarding estate planning, trust administration, business succession, wealth preservation, and related taxation issues. Ms. Orta graduated magna cum laude from USF School of Law and was a member of the Law Review and a recipient of the Queen's Bench Scholarship and Dean's Tuition Scholarship. She is a member of the Asian American Bar Association and is the incoming Chair of the Estate Planning Subcommittee of the Trusts and Estates section of the Alameda County Bar Association. Ms. Orta has been in private practice for the past 11 years.

Julia G. Partridge
BA, 1973, University of California at Berkeley
JD, 1978, Hastings College of the Law
Contracts

Ms. Partridge is a Judicial Staff Attorney with the California Court of Appeal, where she reviews appellate records and briefs and prepares memoranda for the justices. Previously, Ms. Partridge has worked as an associate in a general civil litigation firm and was a staff attorney for the Veterans' Administration. She has taught Legal Research and Writing and Advanced Research and Writing at California State University, Hayward.

Helen Peters
BA, 1982, University of Nevada at Reno
JD, 1987, Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Community Property

Ms. Peters has 22 years of legal practice, 19 years as a solo practitioner in Family Law Litigation and Mediation. She has served as Judge Pro Tem (per diem) to the Contra Costa County Unified Courts since 1999, and was elected as a trustee in 2007 to the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District. She is Past President of the Contra Costa County Bar Association's Women's Section (1990); Family Law Section (2000); and Bar Association (2007). Her passions include reading, music, cooking, exercise, and loving her son, Paul, and husband, Steve.

Ora Prochovnick
JD, 1984, New College of California
Real Property, Housing Advocacy Clinic Director

Professor Prochovnick is a member of the School of Law's core faculty in addition to being the director of the Housing Advocacy Clinic. She also maintains a small private practice, representing clients in LGBT family law matters, adoptions, estate planning, and document drafting. She currently serves as Judge Pro Tem for the San Francisco Superior Court and as Advising Attorney for San Francisco State University's Legal Resource Center. Prof. Prochovnick has received frequent recognition for her pro bono and social justice pro bono work, including the State Bar Pro Bono Service Award, the Award of Merit from the Bar Association of San Francisco, the Transgender Law Center Community Ally Award, and being named a Northern California Super Lawyer by San Francisco Magazine.

Edward Roybal
BA, 1973, University of California at Los Angeles
JD, 1976, University of California at Berkeley
Civil Procedure

Professor Roybal is a member of the core faculty of JFKU School of Law. Following law school, Prof. Roybal was an attorney with Central Legal de la Raza in Oakland (1976-78) and served as their executive director (1986-93); was an attorney with the Law Offices of Richard Beserra (1979-80); and maintained a private civil and criminal practice (1980-85).

Ivor Samson
BA, 1967, University of California at Berkeley
M.Sc, 1968, London School of Economics
JD, 1972, University of California at Berkeley
Trial Advocacy

Mr. Samson is a partner in the San Francisco office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, LLP, and Chair of the San Francisco office's Litigation Department. His practice emphasizes all aspects of litigation and trial across a broad range of subject areas. He has been lead trial counsel in over 35 cases that were tried to verdict, including both bench and jury trials, as well as protracted and complex administrative proceedings. He has represented clients in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Wyoming, and Kansas, as well as California, in matters involving commercial disputes, land use, government contracts, direct and inverse condemnation, labor and employment, administrative law, and regulatory and environmental issues.

Kari Schoening
BA, 1990, University of California at Berkeley
JD, 1996, Santa Clara University
Legal Research and Writing, Legal Methods, Electronic Research

Ms. Schoening has served as in-house counsel for The Cambay Group, a real estate developer with domestic and foreign subsidiaries, providing general oversight and legal supervision over all legal matters relating to the company's operations. She's also been Regional Counsel for Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 public homebuilder, and Counsel for Bingham McCutchen LLP, representing developers and other entities and individuals in connection with complex real estate and other transactions. She served as a judicial extern for The Honorable Roderic Duncan (1994), The Honorable S. Peter Manoukian (1994), and The Honorable Robert P. Aguilar (1995).

Audrey A. Smith
BA, 1981, University of California at Irvine
JD, 1985, University of Santa Clara
Legal Research, Appellate Advocacy, Trial Advocacy, Professional Responsibility

Ms. Smith is the Director of the School of Law's Legal Research and Writing Program. Prior to her appointment as a core faculty member, Ms. Smith served as a senior appellate court staff attorney to the California Court of Appeal, First District, from 1999 to 2003. She was a partner in the firm of Wartnick, Chaber, Harowitz, Smith and Tigerman. She has extensive civil trial experience and has tried many cases to verdict before juries in California state courts. She has also served as court appointed counsel to children and adults in confidential juvenile dependency proceedings.

Kymberly A. Smith
BS, 1989, Georgetown University
JD, 1992, Georgetown University
Criminal Law

Ms. Smith began her legal career as a judicial law clerk for The Honorable Susan Holmes Winfield of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, where she drafted all of the Court's decisions, orders, opinions, and pre-hearing memoranda. She was also a Founding Research Associate with Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Institute for Policy Research, an associate with Washington & Christian, and Of Counsel for Martin & Mercer, all in Washington, D.C., before joining the Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney. As an Assistant US Attorney, she prosecuted violations of the federal statutes involving fraud and child exploitation. She also prosecuted cases involving multi-offense and multi-defendant controlled substance violations, wire interception, and firearms violations.

Sondra Solovay
AB, 1992, Brown University
JD, 1996, University of California at Berkeley
Torts

Ms. Solovay manages the development of employment-related legal content for Workplace Answers and her private legal practice focuses on high-profile weight-related matters including disability, torts, civil rights, criminal, employment, and family law concerns. She is creator and director of the Fat Legal Advocacy Rights and Education Project (FLARE!) and has developed law-based, anti-bias workshops focusing on weight, gender, race, sexual orientation, and civil rights. She is the author of Tipping the Scales of Justice Fighting Weight-Based Discrimination, co-editor of the upcoming Fat Studies Reader and has made many public appearances discussing civil rights including on CNN's Burden of Proof and Good Morning America.

Bobbie Stein
BA, 1979, University of Wisconsin at Madison
JD, 1983, University of San Francisco
Criminal Law

Ms. Stein is in private practice specializing in criminal defense, handling felonies and misdemeanors at both trial and appellate levels. She has received the Wiley W. Manuel Pro Bono Award, the Unsung Hero Award from the National Lawyers' Guild, and a Special Recognition Award from the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness. She is a past president of the San Francisco chapter of the National Lawyers' Guild and is currently on the Board of Directors of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. Ms. Stein also teaches at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall and is the founder and past director of New College of California's Criminal Defender Clinic (now part of JFKU).

James T. Straw
BA, 1973, University of California at Los Angeles
JD, 1977, Southwestern University School of Law
Real Property

Mr. Straw is a partner in the firm of Bardellini, Straw, Cavin & Bupp, LLP, in San Ramon. His practice concentrates on litigation and transaction aspects of escrow, title insurance, leasing, lending, and other real estate matters. He previously served as house counsel to Chicago Title Insurance Company and The Travelers' Real Estate Investment Department. He was on several committees of the California Land Title Association and has lectured at education seminars conducted for escrow and title officers throughout the state.

Dean Ito Taylor
BA, 1975, University of California at Riverside
JD, 1978, University of San Francisco
Community Property, Remedies

Mr. Taylor is the executive director and co-founder of Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach in San Francisco, where he supervises the litigation, administration, and fiscal oversight for this non-profit legal services organization serving the San Francisco Bay Area. He was previously a supervising attorney with the San Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foundation, supervising the family law litigation unit, with emphasis on representing survivors of domestic violence. He received the Joe Morizumi Award from the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area in 2008, was a Civil Rights Division Honoree by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1990, received the National Service Award from the National Asian/Pacific Law Students' Association in 1986, and was selected for the Local Hero Award by KQED Public Television as part of its 2009 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration.

Eric Young
BA, 1992, University of Illinois
JD, 1996, Golden Gate University
Appellate Advocacy, Law and Motion Practice

Since 1997, Mr. Young has been in his own private civil litigation practice where he focuses on personal injury, employment discrimination, and civil rights matters. Mr. Young has extensive civil litigation and appeals experience, including successfully handing a number of appeals before the California Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court.

Probal G. Young
BA, 1991, University of California, Santa Barbara
JD, 1996, Golden Gate University
Remedies, Professional Responsibility, Moot Court, Electronic Research

Probal Young is a senior litigator at Archer Norris in Walnut Creek, practicing in the areas of landlord/tenant, construction defect, premises liability, environmental and general litigation and transactional work, and advising start-ups on employment and other human resources issues. He is also an adjunct professor in JFKU School of Management's Paralegal Certificate program. Mr. Young recently represented an emergency room physician in a medical malpractice trial in Alameda County Superior Court and a country club in a complex construction dispute in a lengthy binding arbitration in San Francisco. During law school, Mr. Young was a member of Phi Delta Phi and a teaching assistant for numerous first-year Torts classes. Mr. Young clerked at the Santa Clara County Office of the District Attorney, where he second-chaired a multiple-defendant murder trial as a Bar-certified law clerk. He was also a judicial extern at the United States District Court, Northern District, where an opinion he drafted was published on LEXIS.

Pamela Zimba
BA, 1976, University of California at Santa Barbara
JD, 1986, Ventura College of Law
LLM, 2004, Golden Gate University
Real Property

Ms. Zimba is in private practice, specializing in the areas of real property, probate, and family law. Prior to opening her own practice, Ms. Zimba with a senior associate with Russo, Weintraub, Bellia & Morton, where she represented more than 25 families in a toxic tort litigation involving single-family homes, obtaining a settlement for one family of more than one million dollars.