Education

Law School/Year: Rutgers University, 1990

College/Year: College of New Rochelle, 1986

Bar Admissions

California, 1990

Practice Areas

Appellate, Civil Litigation, Discrimination & Civil Rights, Family & Domestic Relations, Legal Malpractice

Major Cases

In law school, I was research assistant for Alan Stein on the Rochon litigation (1988), the largest race discrimination award in history against the FBI. I assisted on briefing for the Sharon S case (in support of Annette F); assisted with briefing in the California Marriage Cases; co-counsel in Barnes-Wallace v. City of San Diego (terminating the Boy Scout’s lease of public land with the city, pending on appeal); argued and won MSJ in trial court on Fiesta Island.

Professional Background

Started my legal career at Gray Cary Ames & Frye (now DLA Piper Rudnick) as a litigation associate. As a named partner in Stock Stephens LLP, I have the pleasure of working with a great team on a variety of cases ranging from elder abuse, to employment litigation, to civil rights matters. The teaching portion of my career began (as an adjunct) at California Western School of Law in 1998; then at UCSD in 1999 to the present. I continue to teach three classes at UCSD: Reproductive Rights; Gender Equality & Law; Law & Sex (an introductory law course on the manner in which the law regulates sexuality). I lecture frequently on topics including domestic partnership rights and responsibilities; transgender issues; reproductive rights and related topics.

Professional Affiliations

Former chair of the City’s Human Relations Commission; former member of the San Diego LGBT Community Center Board of Directors; former member of the ACLU Board of Directors; Lawyers Club member; Tom Homan Law Association member; NAACP member

Personal Affiliations

On Aug. 8 I will have the honor of calling Amber Cyphers my wife (assuming she doesn’t back out before then). She is a writer and was named one of San Diego’s 50 people to watch by San Diego Magazine in 2004 (I believe). She is currently director of communications at the LGBT Center.

Personal Background

I grew up in Connecticut and came to San Diego on Spring Break in 1985 and never looked back. San Diego was “Shangri-La” as far as I was concerned. After that I worked at UCSD and returned to Rutgers for law school. In 1989 I was hired by Gray Cary as a summer associate and then offered a permanent position in 1990. I’ve been here ever since and would not live in any other city in the world.