KUBEY, CRAIG - Update for February, 2017: I worked in Washington, D.C. as legislative assistant to prominent Democratic Congressman Robert Drinan. Before and after that, also in D.C., I served as lawyer/writer/advocate in a public interest law group, including visiting 26 law schools to co-found the Equal Justice Foundation, with a goal of increased "access to justice" for "average" Americans (improvements in standing to sue, class actions, and attorney fees). Then back to California (Davis!), where I switched careers to writing. Ten books with NY publishers, including national bestsellers (NYT, Amazon.com . . .).
Six books have been collaborations with experts or celebrities. I now specialize in collaborations. Three books have been for American military veterans, including The Viet Vet Survival Guide. Others have been on health, video games, TV cartoons, sports, and alternative dispute resolution (that one, please forgive me, was You Don't Always Need a Lawyer, for Consumer Reports Books). Seven marathons during prehistoric times, still running now but slower. Greatest accomplishment since law school: Did 1,015 miles (as sole driver) from Missoula, Montana to Davis in one day (had to: it was the day before the kids' schools started!). Three children, one wife (43 years). Very proud of our important, idealistic, national law school and the achievements of our faculty, alumni, and current students!
IDIART, MICHAEL Michael G. Idiart '75 has been appointed by California Governor Jerry Brown to a seat on the Fresno Superior Court bench. His appointment drew coverage from the Fresno Bee. Idiart has been an attorney in private practice in Fresno since 1983. He worked for the Fresno County District Attorney's Office from 1976 to 1982 as a chief deputy district attorney and as an assistant district attorney. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article45282210.html
PETERSON, KURT - My journey after law school has not taken me far geographically. The first stop for me after law school was an apartment in San Francisco with classmates Bruce Loper and Louis Skoda. My legal career got off the ground with a small San Francisco firm but I soon moved to one of Oakland's older firms, Orr, Wendel & Lawlor, specializing in real property law where I was the youngest of three litigators. Gene Lawlor, a true gentlemen of the old school was my mentor. I remember an incident when I returned to the office after a hearing and made some wise crack about the judge to the client. Gene called me into his office to tell me judges were to be respected, such comments demeaned the legal profession, and I was to keep my criticism to myself or close colleagues. He taught me a lot about how to practice law. At that point I was living in San Francisco with King Hall classmate Bryce Kranzthor, with whom I also co-owned a 30 foot sail boat, aptly named Wild Oats. I enjoyed the practice at the Wendel firm, but I was young, single and restless and when Zaid Jawdat mentioned to me about his exciting career at Bechtel, I applied and ended up landing a position with Bechtel's mining and metals division. But while Zaid and others at Bechtel were heading off to postings in places like Paris and London, I was tapped for a two year stint in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. At 29 and enjoying the singles scene in San Francisco, I decided Saudi Arabia was not in the cards for me and found a job as a litigator with what was then a small 8 person firm named Gordon & Rees. I thoroughly enjoyed my eighteen years at Gordon & Rees where I tried a lot of cases, became a partner at 33 and was part of that firm's growth to over 200 lawyers with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego by the time I left in 1997 to start my own firm. Just after joining Gordon & Rees I married my wife Janet. We raised two kids, our daughter, Erin, and son, Jack. Erin has a graduate degree in epidemiology and Jack graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. We are very happy to have them both now living in the Bay Area and are patiently waiting for marriages and grandchildren to happen. While at Gordon & Rees, I started a company called Amicus with an investment banker friend and a Rand Corporation researcher. For several years we published Trials Digest and collected and distributed data about trials throughout California. That was1988 through 1993 before widespread online research by lawyers kicked in. We raised a lot of venture money, and started building a market but were unable to grow fast enough to sustain the business. We ended up selling to Thompson Reuters at a loss, but it was fast paced and great fun, and I learned a lot about business and myself even if it burned a bit of a hole in my bank account. Having left Gordon & Rees in 1997 to form my own practice, I am now in my eighteenth year with a six lawyer San Francisco firm and continue to keep busy litigating and trying business cases. I'm probably still too critical of judges who don't see things my way but I'll eventually grow out of that. At this stage in life, I'm looking forward to retiring within the next few years, spending more time at our favorite spot on the Maine coast, continuing to work on my golf game, and finally learning how to garden. Janet and I are in the middle of a home remodeling project so I won't be able to make it to the 40th reunion, but I wish all of our classmates the best and hope to see you at the 45th. And if any of you happen to make your way to San Francisco, I'd love to get together for a cup of coffee and share a few stories about King Hall days.
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AGUILAR, NICK--Nick has retired from UC San Diego after a 26 year career as an education law attorney and now devotes his time to personal pursuits and community service such as serving as a member of the San Diego County Board of Education and as an officer and member of the board of directors of several California nonprofit corporation that own and manage HUD subsidized housing for seniors and disabled persons.
ALBERT BALINGIT has finished his landscaping which he started two years ago. He is not retired-but still enjoys his job with the Department of Consumer Affairs. The family vacations have been following his son, Emilio, to soccer tournaments in Boise, Idaho and San Luis Obispo. His daughter, Moriah, is a senior at the University of Oregon, majoring in Journalism and Spanish, and just finished spending the summer in Spain. His son Emlio is a senior in high school. His wife of 23 years, Jacquie, is the Assistant Chief of the Chronic Disease and Injury Control Section, which runs the Tobacco Media Campaign, and the Early Detection of Breast Cancer program.
COATS, FRANK, Certainly not retired yet. Married to Channon Coats, living in Yuba City, working for DMV, primarily on contracts and surety bonds, trying to get a family LLC off the ground, some involvement in the small family prune orchard. Daughter Devon graduated from UCD last winter, and is working in West Sacramento and preparing to start a teaching program. Occasionally annoy Al Balingit with obscure questions concerning state compliance with the Bond and Undertaking Law. Still involved with: the Sutter Buttes, youth soccer refereeing, Lake Almanor, local history, and a few other hobbies.
DWORIN, CHRIS--Chris has been working for web companies for the last ten years in a wide variety of roles. Currently he's building an online community and marketplace for contemporary artists at Art.com. He's been active as a sculptor and functional potter, selling through galleries around the world. His website's at http://www.paxceramica.com/.
BILL HALE and his wife, Karen have been happily married since 1982. She was a travel agent at one time but the travel benefits have lamentably since ended. They do still travel, preferring Paris and Hawaii when they can get away (which should be more often now that their son, Nick has from graduated college -They may take up skiing again as well). Aside from a trip to Kauai in June, the largest part of their summer''s free time has been spent attending sometimes distant weddings -- 6 so far, 1 to go -- mostly those of friends' children. He remembers seeing old people at his friends'' weddings years ago." Now I am one."He also has been in Wyoming hunting with his outdoorsy friends. Karen will vacation (from me) at home.
JAWDAT, ZAID--Still with Bechtel doing interesting legal work in the telecoms sector, internationally and domestically. And still living in DC, where it is becoming increasingly unpleasant to live, as a person of conscience with a world view. We have made such a mess of things in the Middle East and I can't see how we will ever regain the moral ground we have lost. Not retiring soon, but we are thinking more and more about spending less and less time here. Were planning a longish Xmas break in Cairo with our girls and have bought a house on the Red Sea and we escape to my family's farm near Rome whenever we can. Layan (my oldest girl of 3) and I were recently in California looking at possibilities for her university. Spent a wonderful 2 days with my long-lost buddy Dean Pregerson (its been 30 years!) and his lovely family, then to Berkeley (where we met briefly but happily with Evi Low and Tom Teng, both as sprightly as they were 30 years ago), and on to Davis and Stanford, and in all spent a whirlwind 5-day buzz of work, college-search and nostalgic re-unions. Would love to meet up with classmates coming to Washington, Italy or Egypt.
RICHARD LA PAGLIA is still practicing immigration law in Eloy,Arizona, located south of Phoneix, He is primarily defending against deportation from the U.S. There are over 2,000 "detainees" within 35 miles of his office. He finds it to be a very interesting and challenging area of law. His wife started law school at age 53 and is now working for the local D.A.'s office doing childsupport enforcement. They have 8 children, 7 grandchildren, and 2 more on the way.
LUCEY, PETER--Peter Lucey has partially retired but is still with Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud and Romo along with several other King Hall grads. His youngest child, Nat, is in his second year of law school at Santa Clara. He and his wife Carol are busy planning their next vacation somewhere in Europe. His daughter Erika Wong is at present a stay at home mom in Windsor CA. Carol is a disability rights advocate doing business as STUCK , a consultant firm in Walnut Creek. Carol and Peter just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary-- my how the time flies.
OSHRENKO, GAIL --Gail Osherenko is enjoying being back in California after 25 years in the East ("that was a good try"). She's ocean swimming, outrigger paddling and occasionally stands on a surfboard (briefly). At work, she is working on ways to bring ecosystem-based management to the oceans through place-based management ( e.g. ocean zoning). See Aug. 4, 2006 policy forum piece in SCIENCE (attached) on Resolving Mismatches in U.S. Ocean Governance. She organized a panel at the recent Calif. and World Oceans Conference in Long Beach. She writes, "I came to King Hall to learn to save the environment, and I'm still learning, but humans aren't making it easy." She's also Vice Pres. of the Board of the Environmental Defense Center (the only non-profit environmental law firm between LA and SF). Daughter Linda is in San Francisco and Jamie is at Marlboro College.
SEMEL, LIS--Elisabeth Semel is still fighting the good fight as Director of the Death Penalty Clinic at Boalt Hall where she now holds the position of Clinical Professor of Law. Retirement is not an option. This summer she give a talk to participants in the King Hall Outreach Program, which prepares students from disadvantaged backgrounds for application to law school. It was an inspiring experience, and Lis encourages her classmates to not only commend King Hall for its participation but actively support the KHOP.
SMITH-MERKULOV, CAROL -After retiring from the Washington State Attorney General's Office, life has really raced for Carol Carol was appointed to the State Racing Commission in July 2005, and reports that she was elected chair. Carol spent the summer sailing, gardening, and helping with her husband's art business.
ROSENTHAL, PAUL- Paul's firm, Collier Shannon Scott, has merged with Kelley Drye and Warren, LLP. Nationally, they are known as Kelley Drye and Warren. In Washington, DC they are named Kelley Drye Collier Shannon. Paul is the managing partner of the DC office.
SATRE, PHIL- The last of the Satre's four children (Peter) is off to college (Stanford) and joins his older sister, Jessica (Stanford '07). Phil and Jennifer are celebrating their new status as "empty nesters" by temporarily residing for 2 months this fall in a house on Lombard Street in San Francisco. Phil is grateful to classmate Tom Stallard for taking over the reigns of the Law School Alumni Association as it enters an exciting, and challenging, period for the Law School. Please give Tom all of your support! Phil has retired from Harrah's Entertainment and now spends his time traveling, fishing, skiing and serving on four public company boards and four not-for-profit boards.
STONE, KEN --Ken Stone has completed his 30th year with Hefner Stark & Marois in Sacramento, but with two sons still in college, will remain at the desk for several more years. His son Stephen (a junior at UCSD) is studying in Bologna, Italy this year, thus giving , Ken and hisLisa (Del Pero), an excuse to vacation in Italy. His son Eric is a freshman at UC Berkeley, and was recently selected for the Cal Crew team. Go Bears!
STALLARD, TOM- Tom Stallard is working hard trying to do the impossible job of filling Phil Satre's shoes as President of the Law School Alumni Association. The good work started by Phil continues as King Hall in the last year raised over $2.3 million dollars, more than double the previous record. The Class of 75 has been an important part of this raising almost $400,000 towards the class gift goal of $800,000. Help wanted! On the professional front, Tom recently bought out partner Bill Keller's (King Hall J.D., 1972)interest in Legislative Intent Service and has stepped up his work there accordingly.