Honors and Awards: Included in Top 100 Northern California Super Lawyers 2005, 2008, 2009; top 50 Female Super Lawyers 2004-2009; Awarded American Inns of Court and Ninth Circuit Professionalism Award 2007; California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, elected 1997; President 2008-09; Sacramento County Bar Association - Distinguished Lawyer 2003;  Best Lawyers in America, First Amendment Law (1991-present); Appellate Law (2005-present); AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell; named one of Sacramento's Top 40 Lawyers, Sacramento Magazine April 1999; Sacramento Business Journal, "Women Who Mean Business" September 1997 15 Women Making a Difference. UCD School of Law, Distinguished Alumnus Award 1997; UCD Alumni Association Citation for Excellence 1997. Women Lawyers of Sacramento and Sacramento County Bar Association, Frances Newell Carr Achievement Award 1997. Sacramento County Bar Association, Humanitarian of the Year Award 1996. Society of Professional Journalists, Central Valley Chapter, 1995 Freedom of Information Award.

Bar/Professional Activity: President California Academy of Appellate Lawyers 2008-09; Third Appellate District Mediation Committee, lawyer member 2006-; University of California, Davis, School of Law Alumni Board of Directors, member 2003-;Milton L. Schwartz American Inn of Court, Master 1992-; member Executive Committee 1998-2002;Sacramento County Bar Association, Sacramento Lawyer Editorial Policy Committee 1999-2002; Bar Council 1994-95; Legal Services of Northern California, Inc., member of Board of Directors 1989-1995, Executive Committee member 1991-1995; California State Bar Committee on Administration of Justice, 1985-87; Committee on Women in the Law, 1984-85; Committee on Free Press & Fair Trial, 1983-84; California Women Lawyers, life member, First Vice President 1984-85; Women Lawyers of Sacramento, member 1977-; Secretary 1980; member Judicial Appointments Committee.

Pro bono/Community Service: UCD Health Systems Leadership Council, Executive Committee 1999-2004; Chair 2002-2003; Mercy General Hospital Ethics Committee 1984-2003; UCD Medical Center Ethics Committee 1999-; Kaiser Hospital (Morse Ave.) Ethics Committee 2008-.

Scholarly Lectures and Writings: Faculty, Judicial Council of California - Center for Judicial Education and Research - Appellate Justices Institute "Dialogue Between Appellate Justices and Appellate Lawyers: Practicalities, Improving Process, and Tentative Opinions," October 2003 (San Francisco) Faculty, Placer County Bar Association, Appellate Practice - Tips for Trial Lawyers, April 2002 (Auburn) Faculty, Practicing Law Institute, Libel and Newsgathering Litigation – Shield Laws, July 2000 and July 1998 (Los Angeles); Libel Litigation - Motions to Dismiss, August 1992 (Los Angeles). Faculty, Continuing Education of the Bar, Fundamentals of Civil Pretrial Practice, November 1999 (Sacramento) Faculty, State Bar of California, Litigation Section, How to Defend an Appeal, May 1995 (Sacramento).

Verdicts and Settlements: Published decisions on appeal include: Lonicki v. Sutter Health Central, 43 Cal.4th 1139 (2008); Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians v. Superior Court, 40 Cal. 4th 239 (2006); Fair Political Practices Com'n v. Santa Rosa Indian Community of Santa Rosa Rancheria, previously published at 123 Cal. App. 4th 672 (2004) (review pending); Hassan v. Mercy American River Hosp., 31 Cal. 4th 709 (2003) (defamation, Civil Code § 43.8 privilege); Miller v. Superior Court, 21 Cal. 4th 883 (1999) (news reporters' constitutional rights); Zukle v. Regents of University of California, 166 F.3d 1041 (9th Cir. 1999) (ADA – learning disability); Braun v. Bureau of State Audits, 67 Cal. App. 4th 1382 (1998) (Reporting on Improper Government Activities Act); Hossam Buzgheia v. Leasco Sierra Grove, 60 Cal. App. 4th 374 (1997) (contractors' license law); NBS Imaging Systems, Inc. v. Board of Control, 60 Cal. App. 4th 328 (1997) (public contract law); Beck Development Co., Inc. v. Southern Pacific Transportation Company, 44 Cal. App. 4th 1160 (1996) (nuisance law); In re Keisha T., 38 Cal. App. 4th 200 (1995) (public access to juvenile court records); KOVR-TV, Inc. v. Superior Court, 31 Cal. App. 4th 1023 (1995) (intentional infliction of emotional distress); Parish v. Peters, 1 Cal. App. 4th 202 (1991); Zellerino v. Brown, 235 Cal. App. 3d 1097 (1991); Turnbull & Turnbull v. ARA Transportation Services, 219 Cal. App. 3d 811 (1990) (below cost sales); Ray v. Farmers Insurance Exchange, 200 Cal. App. 3d 1411 (1988)(automobile insurance); Alim v. Superior Court, 185 Cal. App. 3d 144 (1986) (defamation); Nicholson v. McClatchy Newspapers, 177 Cal. App. 3d 509 (1986) (defamation); Lewis v. Time, Inc., 710 F.2d 549 (9th Cir. 1983) (defamation); Hammarley v. Superior Court, 89 Cal. App. 3d 388 (1979) (reporters' shield law).

Educational Background: University of California Santa Cruz, A.B. 1974 in Community Studies