Alumni Profile

Alice L. Kessler ’03 is the Co-Managing Shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Sacramento office, where she also serves as Co-Leader of the California Government Law & Policy Group and Co-Chair of the firm’s LGBTQ+ Affinity Group. She is an accomplished legislative strategist with deep relationships among California policymakers, thought leaders, and community-based organizations.

Roya Ladan ’12 is a Partner at Cohen Williams LLP in Los Angeles, specializing in employment law and advising on complex criminal and civil matters, including fraud, trade secret misappropriation, and business disputes. Her experience representing clients on both sides offers a well-rounded perspective on challenges and opportunities. She also serves on the board of the Employment Round Table of Southern California and the Pro Bono Council for Inner City Law Center.

Bijal Vakil ’96 is a Partner at Skadden in Palo Alto, specializing in intellectual property, technology, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. Named California’s Intellectual Property Expert of the Year in 2025, he has advised clients across diverse sectors, including software, AI, fintech, semiconductors, drones, e-commerce, social media, autonomous vehicles, consumer electronics, telecommunications, video games, medical devices, and cryptocurrency. 

Jennifer Carbuccia ’07 has served as the General Counsel at Sweetwater Union High School District for over a decade. Previously, she directed labor relations at San Diego Unified School District and served in leadership in labor relations at the City of San Diego. Before that she was an attorney at Currier & Hudson, advising school district, college, utilities, and other public agency clients in San Diego and Imperial County.

Judge Esmeralda Zendejas ’06 is the first graduate of the King Hall Outreach Program (KHOP) known to have become a judge. After being appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in February 2023, she serves on the bench of the San Joaquin Superior Court in Stockton, California. In 2024, she administered the State Oath at King Hall’s annual swearing-in ceremony. Before her appointment, she had most recently served as an attorney at the Department of Industrial Relations since 2022 and as a Deputy Attorney General at the California Attorney General’s Office from 2020 to 2022.

As a Partner at Nossaman LLP in Sacramento, Christopher D. Hughes ’07 typically represents trustees and creditors in bankruptcy and commercial litigation. He has also counseled clients on claims ranging from securities fraud to embezzlement to Ponzi schemes.

Dario J. Frommer ’92 is the former majority leader of the California State Assembly. He also chaired the Assembly’s Health Committee and the California Transportation Commission, which oversees billions of dollars in funding for transit projects. Previously, he had been Appointments Secretary to Governor Gray Davis.

In his wide-ranging career in civil rights law, Paul Igasaki ’79 has been Chair and Chief Judge of the U.S. Department of Labor Administrative Review Board; Deputy CEO of Equal Justice Works, an organization that provides grants and advocacy to public interest lawyers; Executive Director of the Rights Working Group, a coalition of human and civil rights organizations; Vice Chair, Chair, and Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Executive Director of the Asian Law Caucus; Washington D.C.

Michael Taylor ’69 is a judge on the Appellate Courts of Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington State and the Tulalip Tribes and San Manuel Band of Serrano Indians in California. Previously, he has served as a judge on the Appellate Courts of Quinault Nation (Washington State); Lower Sioux (Minnesota); and Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw (Oregon).

Janet Stone Herman ’84 is Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Covington & Burling LLP. Previously, she was Director of Attorney Development and Women’s Initiatives at Morrison & Foerster LLP. She served on the UC Davis School of Law Alumni Association Board of Directors for nine years and was co-chair of the Student Outreach Committee.

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