Education
Law School: Harvard Law School
College: Michigan State University
Major Cases
My new book, “Your Brain and Law School,” discusses the application of cognitive psychology to legal education and practice. My other recent work in the area of gender takes an interdisciplinary approach, using research in social science, investigating ways that cognitive bias affects judicial perceptions generally, and specifically the categories of male and female.
I have published and spoken on this topic as well as other areas of constitutional law, such as the First Amendment. In my pre-academic life, I am most proud of the work that I did on behalf of nonresident workers in the Northern Mariana Islands, which included lawsuits against employers, as well as testifying before Congress concerning the abuses. After joining academia, I published articles that explored the legal and political relationship of U.S. territories.
Professional Background
After a year clerking with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, I worked as a staff attorney at the Micronesian Legal Services Corp. in the Northern Mariana Islands in the western Pacific. I began a private law firm in the islands, engaging in a general law practice for six years, emphasizing trial and appellate work. During that time, I served as counsel to several public agencies and corporations. I joined the faculty of Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 1991 and served as associate dean between 1994 and 2002. I teach constitutional law, as well as law and psychology. In the past, I also have taught contracts, evidence, appellate advocacy, comparative constitutional law and advanced constitutional law.
Professional Affiliations
I am a member of the San Diego County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Lawyers Club and California Women Lawyers. My most important professional affiliation for the past 22 years has been with Thomas Jefferson School of Law. As associate dean for eight of these years, I was extensively involved in improving the quality of the legal education at Thomas Jefferson during a period of dynamic growth.
Personal Affiliations
I have a husband (married 33 years) and two kids (21 and 25 years old).