Lawyers Who Lead

Ming Chin '67, Associate Justice, California Supreme Court

One of eight children born to Chinese immigrants, Justice Chin is a decorated Vietnam War veteran who worked his way up to the state's highest court, with positions in private practice, as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, as an Alameda County Superior Court judge, and as a First District Court of Appeal justice. He became the first Chinese American to serve on the state Supreme Court when he was appointed in 1996 by Governor Pete Wilson. "Over the years I have worked with many USF law students through judicial externships as well as many school-sponsored advocacy programs and other events. In every situation, I am pleased to see that the traditions of excellence, justice, and ethics continue to distinguish each of USF's students and alumni."

Lindbergh Porter '81, Partner, Littler Mendelson

A 2008 Super Lawyer according to Law & Politics and a top employment attorney in the San Francisco Bay Area according to The Recorder, Porter is partner in one of the largest employment law firms in the country. He represents financial services, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, media, and technology clients as advisor, trial, and wage-and-hour class action counsel. His firm has hired numerous USF students as associates and summer associates. "What sets USF apart from other law schools is a belief by the faculty and the administration that they are preparing students to be full participants in both the legal community and the larger community in which they live," he says. "Students recognize that they have an obligation to participate fully in society, not just be good lawyers. Lawyers have a special obligation to be active in civic affairs, and USF furthers that notion."

Maria Rivera '74, Associate Justice, First District Court of Appeal

Prior to joining the bench, Justice Rivera was a partner with McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enerson and served as assistant U.S. attorney and deputy district attorney in San Francisco. She has been named Pro Bono Judge of the Year and serves on the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission, the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, and the Commission on Impartial Courts. "In the past two decades, USF has become more and more focused on its mission to educate students to be effective lawyers with a social conscience, high ethical standards, and a global perspective," she says. "Unquestionably, a part of my path to the bench was rooted in the notion—inculcated in me at USF—that a law degree is a privilege and must be used not just to make a living but also in service to the community."

Max Gutierrez '59, Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

planning for family wealth transfers, complicated valuation issues, and work on complex multi-state or multinational estates. In 2006, Max was listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America and was selected as one of the top ten Super Lawyers in Northern California for the second consecutive year. Gutierrez has served as chair of the Executive Committees of the Probate and Trust Law and the Family Law Sections of the State Bar of California; president and chancellor of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law; regent of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; and chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the American Bar Association. A frequent lecturer, he also has written numerous articles on taxes, estate planning, trust and estates, and family law. He is the author of Gutierrez on Marital Deduction Planning. "If you had to pick one alum in USF's storied history that best represents all that we are, it might very well be Max," said Dean Jeffrey Brand. "He is smart, without peer when it comes to respect in his areas of practice. He is an ethical, decent human being who understands that quality lawyering is about serving your client, as well as the profession at large."

Stacy Miller Azcarate '96, President, Miller, Sabino, & Lee, Inc.

Miller is founder and president of the legal placement firm of Miller, Sabino & Lee, Inc. She began her career practicing real estate and corporate law in San Francisco before joining the world's largest legal placement company as the executive director of its Northern California offices. She founded Miller, Sabino & Lee, Inc. in 1999. "Learning at USF is a true collaboration by and among faculty and students. There is no way I could run my company and be successful without my law degree and the support of the dedicated USF alumni community, which has continued well beyond my law school years."

Eugene Crew, Founding Partner, Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP

Crew is among the country's most renowned antitrust attorneys who in 2003 won a $1.1 billion settlement in an antitrust suit filed against Microsoft. He was named USF Alumnus of the Year in 2008. Colleagues describe Crew as a tenacious attorney committed to advancing the cause of justice. The relentless pursuit of justice, a theme reflected in the mission of the USF School of Law, are deeply engrained in Crew, according to Daniel Furniss, a partner at Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP. "He is the consummate lawyer. Even when he knows the law well, he studies it more. Ideas matter," Furniss said. "Gene also shares a deep commitment to social justice," Furniss said, describing Crew as an ethical lawyer who acts with integrity. "He believes that this is a profession where ethics and morals are at the heart, not just added on."

James Fox '69, District Attorney, San Mateo County

In addition to serving more than 26 years as district attorney of San Mateo County, Fox is dedicated to giving back to his profession through his leadership of professional associations. He has served as president of the 7,000-member National District Attorneys Association, which represents 30,000 state and local prosecutors responsible for prosecuting more than 95 percent of all criminal cases in the U.S. He has also been active with the California State Bar's Conference of Delegates and the California District Attorneys Association. He also encourages the assistant district attorneys in his office to participate. "What we learn through this involvement, we pass along to our colleagues and can apply in our own work," he said. "Sharing expertise and establishing nationwide networks are especially important in relatively new areas like identity theft and terrorism, where the threats and the consequences go beyond any single jurisdiction."

Michael Hennessey '73, Sheriff, San Francisco

Hennessey began his career as legal counsel to Sheriff Richard Hongisto and, in 1975, founded the San Francisco Jail Project, a legal assistance program for inmates with civil legal problems. During his nearly 30 years as sheriff, Hennessey has pioneered numerous rehabilitation programs for inmates, including RSVP (Resolve to Stop the Violence Project, an in-custody treatment program) and the Five Keys Charter High School. The school is named after what Hennessey sees as the five most important factors for inmates leaving jail: education, employment, recovery, family, and community. Hennessey is proud of the diversity of his department's staff and the development opportunities they are afforded. Representation of African Americans and Asian Americans has soared, while more than 70 percent of the deputies are women and minorities. "Several people on staff—not just my legal counsels—are law school graduates, including Eileen Hirst who graduated from USF in 1989," Hennessey noted. "The thought process you learn in law school is invaluable. Plus, it instills a reverence for the Constitution that gives you a road map for your work and life." In accepting the award of USF School of Law Alumnus of the Year in 2007, Hennessey quoted Albert Einstein: "'The only life worth living is a life lived for others.' USF reinforced that for me," he said.

Barbara Moser '90, Founding Partner, Kaye • Moser • Hierbaum LLP

Moser began her career in family law as an associate with Brobeck Phleger and Harrison, where she was mentored by fellow USF alumnus Max Gutierrez '59. In 1995, Moser established Kaye • Moser • Hierbaum LLP, a boutique family law firm in San Francisco comprised of many USF alumni. The firm is known for handling the most complex cases, and for dealing with issues such as stock option valuation and international jurisdictional issues. They have been involved in cases around the state involving top executives, professional athletes, and rock stars. The firm also does estate planning, probate and trust litigation, and trusts and estates work. "We are known for zealously representing our clients, so sometimes other attorneys describe us as being aggressive," Moser said. "But we settle the vast majority of our cases, and on very good terms for our clients, precisely because of our zealous representation, our thoroughness, and our attention to detail." Moser has been named a Northern California Super Lawyer three years in a row, and was the recipient of a Reader's Choice Award for San Francisco's Favorite Attorney by J., the Jewish news weekly of Northern California. In 2006, Moser was named USF's John J. Meehan Fellow for her dedication to the professional development of USF law students.

Jessica Grant '95, Partner, Taylor & Company Law Offices, LLP

Prior to joining Taylor & Company, Grant was a named partner at Furth Lehmann & Grant, LLP in San Francisco. In 2007 she received a California Lawyer Attorney of the Year Award for her work as the lead trial lawyer in Savaglio, et al. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., in which she obtained a $172 million jury verdict against Wal-Mart. The class action suit was the first to be tried under a California law requiring employers to c•ompensate employees an additional hour of pay when they are not provided a complete lunch break. "We really invented the wheel, from our theory of the case to the jury instructions," Grant said. "Nothing in the law barred punitive damages, and Wal-Mart's conduct was egregious, not just in the sheer number of violations, but also in the company's efforts to cover up the problem." Named one of the "Top Women Litigators in California" by the Daily Journal (2007), and one of the "Best Lawyers in the Bay Area" by Bay Area Lawyer Magazine (2005), Grant has served as a USF adjunct faculty member teaching mediation, is active on the Board of the Legal Aid Society, and is a member the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.

Donald Specter '78, Director, Prison Law Office

When Specter joined the Prison Law Office in 1980, it was a two-attorney office, handling cases for individual inmates. Today, the nonprofit public interest law firm, located just outside the gates of San Quentin, employs 14 lawyers who lead class action cases that have improved conditions for the nearly 170,000 inmates in the state's prisons and juvenile facilities. "I'm proud of our growth and impact," Specter says, citing as examples successful litigation for improved living conditions and a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to prisons. "USF gave us all the opportunity to try new things and to make mistakes without doing any real harm. It let me experiment, to take a sort of ‘taste test' approach to finding which area of the law was right for me," Specter said

Mary Jane Theis '74, Justice, First District Illinois Appellate Court

Justice Theis served as an assistant public defender for nearly 10 years before becoming an associate judge (1983–88) and then circuit judge (1988–93). She was elected to the appellate court in 1994. Judge Theis is a member of the Illinois State and Chicago Bar Associations, the Women's Bar Association of Illinois and the Illinois Judges' Association. In addition to her service on the bench, Justice Theis has served as president of the Appellate Lawyers Association. "I hope to strengthen that sense of civility and professionalism in every aspect of our professional lives. That accords with the values-based approach to the law and life that I learned at USF and which has colored my entire career."

Kelly Robbins '91, Principal, Robbins Family Law Firm

Robbins has practiced law in San Francisco since 1991, making her start in civil litigation to gain valuable trial and courtroom experience. For the past 10 years her sole focus has been matters of family and divorce law with an emphasis on high-asset property division, support, and custody. In 2005, Robbins was certified by the State Bar of California as a Specialist in Family Law, a designation held by only a small group of practicing attorneys. Robbins has also served as president of the Queen's Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area, an organization dedicated to advancing the interests of women in law and society and furthering the progress of women in the legal profession. The members of Queen's Bench are inspired by a "long and proud tradition of women lawyers standing up for equal rights and equal opportunity, and working together," Robbins says. The organization also leads public service efforts such as a project in San Francisco's Juvenile Hall and collecting business clothing for women re-entering the workforce. "The USF Women's Law Association came down with several boxes of clothing," Robbins recalled. "But that didn't surprise me, since I know from my own experience how engrained the ethic of public service is at USF."

Kevin Ryan, Director, San Francisco Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice

In addition to leading Mayor Gavin Newsom's Office of Criminal Justice, Ryan serves as the mayor's deputy chief of staff. Prior to his tenure in San Francisco's City Hall, Ryan was the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. Also a former Alameda prosecutor, San Francisco criminal court judge, and California superior court judge, Ryan's new job entails advising city departments on current policing strategies, writing legislation to curb criminal activity, and coordinating a database of cases and information for use by city agencies.

Frank Pitre '81, Partner, Cotchett, Pitre & Simon

Considered to be an outstanding consumer fraud, commercial torts, and personal injury trial lawyer, Pitre has won millions of dollars for victims. In 2007, Pitre was elected a fellow of the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and in 2006, he was recognized by the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association as Lawyer of the Year. He also was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America (2006-2007) and ranked among the top 500 litigators in America by Lawdragon magazine. In addition, he has been named a Northern California Top 100 Super Lawyer for 2005–2007. He is a past president (2006) of Consumer Attorneys of California, a 3,000-member group of lawyers dedicated to protecting and seeking justice for consumers. "My years at USF awakened my social conscience," he says. "I learned the value of hard work and commitment. Professors modeled those characteristics."

James G. Butler Jr. '87, Attorney, The Veen Firm

Butler focuses on prosecuting catastrophic injuries cases involving union workers. He is a past president of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, and has been a frequent lecturer for labor organizations and lawyers' groups. He is the author of the Injured Worker Survival Guide, and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association since 1997. "Plaintiffs' attorneys give voice to the disenfranchised and have been an engine for great change," he says. "A good trial lawyer has to be creative and must have a lot of heart and tenacity. You have to care enough to devote yourself unswervingly to the cause. And of course, one must have integrity. So many of my USF professors manifested integrity. I feel an obligation to speak up and to serve. People of good conscience deserve trustworthy leaders. I hope I have proven myself to be among them and appreciate the opportunity to serve them."