Education
Law School: University of San Diego School of Law
College: UCSD, B.A., biology
Major Cases
I was privileged to serve as an expert witness for the association in the Lamden case, resulting in a rule of “judicial deference” for volunteer boards. In terms of trials, I most enjoyed a case I tried with fellow EGH attorney Bill Budd, which upheld rental restrictions in a large senior community (Harrison v. Sierra Dawn Estates). Although the decision was ultimately not published, it represented a victory for the community at trial and on appeal. I am enjoying consulting on various fair housing issues (ADA, FHA) and editing the upcoming supplement to CEB's text on common interest developments.
Professional Background
I began representing community associations shortly after I opened my first law office in Rancho Bernardo. RB is one of San Diego's first 'master planned communities', and it also is home to many 55+ communities. As a direct result of that experience, I became active in advocating for legislative revisions to the Unruh Civil Rights Act to facilitate the operation of such communities, and I also began to contribute regularly to CEB's text on common interest developments. Presently I serve on the State Bar's subcommittee on fair housing, and in 2013, was a co-author of the revised CEB text for CIDs.
Professional Affiliations
I am a member of California's state and federal bars, as well as the San Diego County Bar Association. I am a member of the College of Community Association Lawyers, a professional accreditation accorded by the Community Associations Institute, a national educational organization serving the common interest development industry.
Personal Background
A native of Tennessee, I moved to California (by way of Oklahoma) at 14. After graduating from Tustin High School in 1968, I attended Revelle College at UCSD, and received a bachelor’s in biology in 1972. A brief stint doing research at UCSD's medical school preceded law school. I graduated from USD School of Law in 1976 and was admitted to the state bar the same year. Never looked back …
I am the very proud mother of Mitchell Krstovski who received his Master's Degree in International Business Administration from Fudan University in Shanghai on June 28 -- and the equally proud wife of Dragoljub Krstovski, who emigrated to the United States from Beograd, Serbia.
I credit where I grew up for a strong work ethic and a tendency to speak plainly. I owe to my mother, a high school teacher, a predilection for the snappy comeback. And I thank my longtime professional partner, Jon Epsten, for telling me to “put a sock in it” at appropriate moments.