Education

Law School/Year: Stanford Law School, 1989

College/Year: Dartmouth College, 1986

Bar Admissions

California

Practice Areas

Appellate, International (In additional to international law, my principal specialty is Constitutional Law.)

Major Cases

Medellin v. Texas (2007, U.S. Supreme Court and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals), co-author of amicus brief addressing scope of president’s constitutional powers.

Presbyterian Church of Sudan v. Talisman Energy Inc. (U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, pending), co-counsel for brief addressing investor liability for human rights violations.

McKesson Corp. v. Islamic Republic of Iran (U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, pending), expert on treaty law and international law.

American Insurance Association v. Garamendi (2003, U.S. Supreme Court), co-counsel on issues of foreign affairs law, extraterritorial jurisdiction and Supreme Court procedure.

Professional Background

After law school, I served as a judicial clerk to Judge J. Clifford Wallace, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, in San Diego, and as a judicial clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court. From 1992-1995, I worked as an attorney for Latham & Watkins in San Diego, principally in international transactions. Since 1995 I have been a professor at the University of San Diego Law School, where I received tenure in 2000. I have participated as a consultant, co-counsel or expert in litigation involving international and constitutional issues in three federal circuits and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Professional Affiliations

I am a member of the American Society of International Law, the California State Bar section on International Law, and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.

Personal Background

I grew up in Orange County, Calif., and moved to San Diego right after law school. My principal activities include travel, hiking, skiing and tennis. My book, “The Constitution’s Text in Foreign Affairs,” was published by Harvard University Press in 2007.