Category: News & Media

After Actress and Comedian Amanda Seales received backlash for a post she made about the Rodney Reed case, Thomas Jefferson School of Law student, Octavia Carson chimed in on the conversation. Seales and Carson engaged in dialogue that ranged from the topic of Rodney Reed’s case, the innocence project’s work, rape crimes, and the need […]

A profile of TJSL graduate Steve Vartazarian, who was named 2019 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, was posted on the Courtroom View Network (CVN) blog on November 19th. In it, Steve reviewed his journey from law school applicant “who bombed the LSAT to being listed among the […]

TJSL graduate Renee Galente Stackhouse has been elected to serve as the San Diego County Bar Association’s 2021 president and will serve as president-elect in 2020. Renee is a trial lawyer focusing on plaintiff’s personal injury, military, and criminal defense. She has served on the SDCBA’s Board since 2017, as vice president, and as inaugural […]

Our students recently took second place (number 2 out of 16 teams) at the America’s Finest City Mock Trial Competition. Congratulations to Phil Cavello, Patricia Tagufa, Denice Barnes and Sarah Sullivan (pictured in the photo from left to right). There were 16 teams competing, and our TJSL students beat teams from: University of Arizona, Pepperdine, […]

Two accomplished alumni will receive awards at the 12th Annual Judicial Mixer, which will be held on November 7. The Honorable Joel R. Wohlfeil (JD ’80) will receive the law school’s Judicial Service Award. Since January 2011, San Diego County Superior Court Judge Wohlfeil has served in a Civil IC assignment, presiding in Department 73 […]

Our student Norra Pe Benito (2L) recently represented TJSL at the annual National Law Students Workers’ Rights Conference just outside of Baltimore, MD. She attended thanks to the generosity and sponsorship of conference organizers at The Peggy Browning Fund. Career Services Director Jeff Chinn asked Norra to answer a few questions about her experience attending […]

At the recent San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association Scholarship Fund’s Annual Gala, five TJSL students received scholarship awards. The five students were Jubani Estrada (’20), Olga Gonzalez (’20), Daniel Granados (’20), Rocio Ortiz (’21), and Fatima Rodriguez (‘20). Estrada and Rodgriguez were given the Justicia Scholarship which recognizes a student’s dedication to criminal defense. […]

Congratulations to our wonderful students who received scholarships at the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Foundation Gala, which was held on Saturday, November 2. Pictured are scholarship recipients Alex Hopson, Octavia Carson, John Pittman, and Rhian Crosdale. Special shout out to Octavia Carson, who serves as the Thomas Jefferson Law Review Editor-in-Chief, and who received a […]

TJSL graduate and Intellectual Property Fellow Hollie Kucera won first place in both the team and individual competition in the Mock Markman Competition.  This competition provides patent lawyers with the opportunity to practice claim construction arguments, which are the subject of Markman Hearings, a common proceeding in patent litigation. The competition was created by San Diego Federal District Court […]

On October 25, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of 11 Superior Court Judges, including Thomas Jefferson School of Law graduate Johnny Cepeda Gogo. As noted by the Governor’s Office, Gogo “has been appointed to a judgeship in the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Gogo has served as a deputy district attorney at the Santa […]

Two of our graduates have recent publications to their credit. Congratulations to both! Kim Carter wrote an article published in the current edition of the American Bar Association’s GPSolo Employment Law and Human Resource issue about how historically, Blacks who wear their natural hair in the workplace have been subjected to discrimination, and why California’s […]

Congratulations to Adjunct Professor Randy Grossman (JD 1994), who was quoted in Law360 on the NBA’s controversy with China. A link to the article is here.     Professor Grossman has taught at the law school since 2000. He also serves as the Chair of the law school’s Board of Trustees.  Here is a link to […]