A man in a suit smiles for a portrait
Adjunct Professor Chris Micheli is a McGeorge School of Law alumnus and longtime lobbyist. Photo by Ashley Golledge.

As a proud McGeorge School of Law graduate of the Class of 1992 day division, Adjunct Professor for the past 8 years, and member of the Capital Center for Law & Policy Advisory Board, I am always happy to meet and advise current and prospective students, particularly in the Capital Lawyering Concentration. One of the main points I repeatedly make is that we have such a large, diverse, and successful alumni network at McGeorge, particularly in the capital lawyering field.

As a result, graduates have many opportunities to connect with alumni who are practicing law or they are engaged in government affairs work, or are employed by local, state, or federal government bodies. That means McGeorge graduates can connect with lots of experts in the capital lawyering field and hopefully find mentors and alumni who will provide career advice and perhaps even become colleagues in the future.

Since I was recruited to teach at McGeorge, interacting with students is the most rewarding aspect. I enjoy sharing my passion for the lawmaking process and explaining in detail what I do as a lobbyist and why a career in public service or the public policy arena can be exciting, challenging, and meaningful. My students also get to meet and talk with leading government and private sector figures who share their interesting career development and often how law school influenced their work and career paths. The Capital Lawyering Concentration at McGeorge is a unique program that prepares our graduates for successful public service careers, and it is a privilege to be a part of it.

By Chris Micheli, ’92. Micheli is a lobbyist with Aprea & Micheli and an adjunct professor at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

Sue Ann Van Dermyden’s practice focuses on conducting workplace and Title IX investigations. Van Dermyden, ’93, is a founding and senior partner of Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation. The firm has five offices located throughout Arizona and California.

Van Dermyden serves on the McGeorge School of Law Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Van Dermyden’s advice for first-year law students is to make meaningful connections during law school because those connections will be important throughout your legal career.

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Learn more about the Alumni Board.

Catherine Mariano, ’11, is a Los Angeles County District Attorney who prosecutes sex crimes. Mariano credits her education as one of the reasons she is an effective trial advocate. She said that McGeorge School of Law prepared her well for her career because of the practical experience that McGeorge offers, which isn’t available at every law school.

Mariano’s favorite thing about McGeorge is the camaraderie she felt with her peers as well as the school’s faculty and staff. Mariano said going to law school at McGeorge means you’ve been born into a family that starts when you become a student and continues when you become a practicing attorney.

Mariano got involved with the alumni board because she loved everything about her law school experience and wanted to help current students have that same positive experience.

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Learn more about the Alumni Board.

Mustafa Karim, ’23, graduated from McGeorge School of Law in May. Karim chose to pursue his legal studies at McGeorge because of the school’s location in Sacramento and the strength of its Office of Career Services.

Karim served as the vice president of the Middle Eastern South Asian Association and said it was a great way to connect with other students with similar backgrounds. Karim was also involved in the Elder and Health Law Clinic for a full school year. Under attorney supervision, Karim provided legal representation to low-income elderly clients in the Sacramento area.

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Uriel Peña, ’23, graduated from McGeorge School of Law in May. Peña chose McGeorge School of Law because of the school’s location near the California State Capitol and networking opportunities in the Capitol and throughout the state.

During his time at McGeorge, he participated in the Latinx Law Student Association and the Public Legal Services Society. Peña also participated in the trial advocacy program at McGeorge. Peña recommends McGeorge’s JD program for those who are interested in law school because of the close-knit community that McGeorge fosters.

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Elizabeth Rocha Zuñiga, ’24, is interested in public interest work and immigration law. She was drawn to McGeorge School of Law because of its Immigration Law Clinic and the passion that McGeorge has for community building. She chose to attend law school because she is from an underserved community and recognized at a young age how important a resource can be. Zuñiga wants to make a difference and be a leader in her community.

Last summer, Zuñiga served as a 2022 Dan Bradley Fellow and worked for the California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc., one of the largest nonprofits in California. This summer, she will be working through California Central Legal Services (CCLS). CCLS is a private nonprofit public interest law firm established for the purpose of providing free legal assistance to low-income individuals, families, organizations, and communities. Recently, Zuñiga started volunteering at McGeorge’s Immigration Law Clinic as well.

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McGeorge School of Law has long been a leader in international legal education. Our summer program in Salzburg is one of the United States’ longest-standing law school study-abroad programs. The Global Center for Business & Development hosts annual symposia that examine cutting-edge questions. Our faculty remain deeply engaged with both the theory and practice of international law. We also connect our students with exciting professional opportunities across the globe.

Professor Omar Dajani is the Co-Director of the Global Center for Business and Development, and he has been on the faculty at McGeorge School of Law since 2003. He teaches courses on Constitutional Law and International Law. Before coming to McGeorge, Dajani’s work focused on international negotiations. Professor Jarrod Wong is also a Co-Director, and he has taught at McGeorge for the past 16 years. Wong teaches Contracts and International Law. Prior to coming to McGeorge, Wong served as a legal advisor on the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal at The Hague. Wong has also worked at law firms based in New York and San Francisco.

Learn more about McGeorge School of Law’s Global Center for Business & Development.

Read the Global Center Fall 2022 Newsletter.

Members of McGeorge School of Law’s Class of 2023 thank those who supported them throughout their law school journeys. From friends to colleagues to family members to faculty, the McGeorge School of Law Class of 2023 expressed their gratitude for those who helped make their dreams come true. Congratulations, Class of 2023!

Thank you to the graduates who participated in this video!

Blessing Aibor
Ahmed Bakry
Erika Cabrera
Carina Ramos Ceci
Hannah Cho
Marissa Flores
Angela Fuentes
Shereen Ghaith
Michael Jahangani
Mustafa Karim
April La Torre
Andy Marin
Jenny Salgado
Maysoun Samhan
Brandon Tanter
Kevin Tran
Michael Ung
Jenifer Velazquez-Sanchez
Ana Villegas
Daniel Zerga

Before coming to law school, Katherine Van Horn (’24) worked in the California State Legislature for five years. “McGeorge was an obvious choice for me. My brother’s an alum and so many of my colleagues in the Legislature are alums,” Van Horn said.

Van Horn stays involved on campus through her roles as Community Outreach Chair of Public Legal Services Society and staff writer for Volume 54 of the University of the Pacific Law Review. Van Horn hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of intellectual property law and antitrust law.

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Alexis Martinez, ’24, decided to go to law school because she wanted to explore different ways and capacities to advocate for people. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in litigation.

Martinez said her favorite class in law school thus far has been Global Lawyering Skills, which sharpened her legal writing skills. She stays involved on campus through her role as president of the Public Legal Services Society (PLSS) at McGeorge School of Law. PLSS is a student organization dedicated to helping law students pursue careers in public service.

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