Public Law 101 Conference

Amy Ackerman serves as the head of the firm’s government practice group. Her experience includes public agency, public health, juvenile dependency, and appellate law. She currently serves as town counsel for the Town of Corte Madera and District Counsel for Marin Sanitary District No. 2.  She serves on the League of Cities Brown Act Committee and the Executive Committee of the California Lawyer’s Association Public Law Section.

Amy was a Senior Deputy City Attorney for 16 years with the City and County of San Francisco. She served as the first Director of Training for the City Attorney’s Office and developed a comprehensive training program for Deputy City Attorneys and paralegals. She also served as the coordinator for legal advice on open government issues for the City Attorney’s Office and delivered the annual open government training for all city officials. Representative cases include Gillespie v. San Francisco Public Library Commission (1998) 67 Cal.App.4th 1165, holding that the Library could properly hold a closed session to nominate candidates for City Librarian and serving as amicus on behalf of fifty cities in City of San Jose v. Superior Court (1999) 74 Cal.App.4th 1008, holding that the City of San Jose could protect the identity of citizens making complaints regarding municipal airport noise.

Amy served as legal counsel to the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, whose governing body is the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Amy also served as general counsel, litigating at both the trial and appellate level and drafting legislation, to a wide variety of City departments and agencies, including the Arts Commission, Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, Department of Human Services, First Five Commission, Film Commission, Juvenile Probation Department, Office of Citizens’ Complaints of the San Francisco Police Department, Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, Rent Board, San Francisco Unified School District and Youth Commission. In addition, she drafted amicus briefs on behalf of the League of Cities and the California State Association of Counties.

After leaving the City Attorney’s Office, Amy was a consultant to the National Policy and Legal

Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity founded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

She worked with communities around the country to enact policy solutions to address chronic health issues. Her work included drafting model legislation and agreements addressing land use, complete streets, healthy housing, code enforcement, shared use of government resources and promoting healthy food. 

In addition, she represented the counties of Del Norte, Napa, San Francisco and Sonoma in the California Court of Appeal. 

J. Kayleigh Chevrier represents school districts, community college districts, and county offices of education in labor and employment law and in general education matters. Ms. Chevrier provides representation, advice, and counsel on a wide variety of matters, including school board governance, employment discrimination and harassment, Title IX investigations, Public Records Act compliance, certificated and classified discipline and dismissal, student discipline, artificial intelligence and education technology, Workplace Violence Restraining Orders, and motions to quash defective subpoenas.  Ms. Chevrier also represents education clients in administrative hearings and civil litigation in state court. 

Prior to joining AALRR, Ms. Chevrier worked for various family law firms in San Jose where she successfully represented clients in settlement conferences and hearings at the Santa Clara County Superior Court.

During law school, Ms. Chevrier externed for the Honorable Nathan D. Mihara (ret.) at the Sixth District Court of Appeal focusing on criminal and civil law matters. She then interned at Bay Area Legal Aid where she primarily assisted victims of domestic violence. Ms. Chevrier received an Emery Merit Scholarship from Santa Clara University School of Law where she competed in Honors Moot Court, was a founding member of both the Animal Law society and the Filipino Law Society, and served as President of the Student Bar Association.

The first Asian American to hold the post, David Chiu leads an office that has been regarded as a national model for public law offices, bringing landmark cases to protect and expand the rights of San Franciscans while providing high quality legal counsel to about 100 city departments, boards and commissions.

The son of immigrant parents, Chiu grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. He received his undergraduate, master’s in public policy, and law degrees from Harvard University.

After receiving his law degree, Chiu went on to have a diverse set of legal experiences. He served as a civil rights attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, a criminal prosecutor with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, Democratic Counsel to the United States Senate Constitution Subcommittee, a law clerk to Judge James R. Browning of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and general counsel to a public affairs technology company.

After moving to San Francisco in 1996, Chiu became an active community leader in the city. He served as a Small Business Commissioner, president of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, board chair of the Youth Leadership Institute, Lower Polk Neighbors and the Chinatown Community Development Center, and board member of Partners Ending Domestic Abuse and Chinese for Affirmative Action.

In 2008, Chiu won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and was re-elected in 2012. With a reputation as a consensus maker, Chiu was selected on his first day in office by his fellow Supervisors to serve as Board President, became the first Board President in San Francisco history elected to three consecutive terms, and was the first Asian American to hold the post. As Supervisor, David Chiu authored 110 ordinances across a wide range of policy areas, including affordable housing, job creation, public safety, healthcare, the environment, transportation, civil rights, language access, ethics, and technology.

As a member of the California State Legislature, David Chiu represented a half million constituents in the 17th Assembly District, which encompassed eastern San Francisco. He was first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2016, 2018, and 2020. During Chiu’s first year, he served as Assistant Speaker pro Tempore, and served as Chair of the Assembly Housing & Community Development Committee for six years. He was also selected to be Chair of the California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus and Policy Chair of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.

During his seven years in the Assembly, Chiu authored 75 bills that were signed into law by the Governor. His bills addressed a wide spectrum of issues, including housing, homelessness, tenant protections, transportation, civil rights, consumer protections, education, the environment, health care, and public safety. Most notably, Chiu authored the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which brought forth the largest expansion of tenants’ rights in California in decades.

He has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, an American Memorial Marshall Fellow, and one of the “Best Attorneys under 40” by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

David Chiu is married to Candace Chen. A third generation San Franciscan, Candace is a public interest lawyer who manages a refugee foster care youth program. They are raising their son, Lucas, in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood.

Ederlina Co is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She teaches persuasive writing, objective writing, and judicial writing as part of McGeorge’s nationally ranked Global Lawyering Skills program. Professor Co also teaches the Prisoner Civil Rights Mediation Clinic and Reproductive Rights and Justice. She received her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Nicolle Falcis is a public law attorney who represents K-12 school districts, community college districts, and water districts. Ms. Falcis is experienced in numerous subjects including public board governance, public facilities, public construction, public finance and funding mechanisms, public contracting, environmental review, land use concerns, and litigation. Her practice also includes an expertise in school/developer fees, the California Public Records Act, and the Brown Act.

Ms. Falcis frequently presents on topics including the above-listed areas for California Special Districts Association (CSDA), the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH), various County Offices of Education, and other associations.

Ms. Falcis is active in, and currently serves on, the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Legal Affairs Committee. She also serves as a Board Member of CalWater PAC.

Before joining AALRR, Ms. Falcis worked for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and the Facilities Development and Planning Branch of Long Beach Unified School District.

Nia Franklin is a Partner at the education law firm of Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost (also known as F3 Law) where she handles the full spectrum of labor and employment issues arising both from teachers and staff of a wide range of educational institutions throughout California. She recently shifted roles to serve as in-house General Counsel for a client where she handles all District-related issues. Nia also has extensive experience conducting workplace investigations of discrimination and harassment in public educational settings, including higher educational institutions.

With a passion for helping students and public education entities function at the highest level possible, Howard Fulfrost represents school districts, county offices of education and special education local plan areas in all aspects of special education law. Howard’s ability to facilitate fair and effective negotiations brings administrators and families together to attain the best outcomes possible.

Long recognized as a legal leader in special education and student matters, Howard is known for his experience in the area of local educational agencies’ obligations to students with disabilities. He guides organizations through all stages of due process, including resolution sessions, mediations and hearings. Whether Howard is assisting client personnel to prepare for a challenging Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting, reviewing files to spot red flags on compliance, or advocating for clients before the Office of Administrative Hearings, he loves helping school districts help kids.

Howard advises clients on a wide spectrum of student-centered matters, including issues stemming from discipline, inter-district attendance, residency and subpoenas for student records. He also performs Title IX and related investigations. His ability to identify weaknesses in cases and policies and rectify them early adds both strategic and practical value for clients. It allows them to do what they do best: educate students.

As an undergraduate, Howard was a student teacher in special education at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Neuropsychiatric Institute (now Semel Institute) in-patient school. He also holds a master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University. This background gives him a deep understanding of the needs and experiences of special education students and helps him speak credibly and perceptively with parents, teachers, school psychologists, administrators during IEP team meetings.

Additionally, Howard’s interesting history elevates his ability to serve clients today. He began his career in the New York City public school system, where he coordinated a community-based program in two Brooklyn high schools. Prior to private practice, he was employed as staff counsel for the Division of Special Education at Los Angeles Unified School District, where he represented the district in hundreds of due process cases and provided ongoing legal support in all areas of special education law.

Howard is a popular and energetic presenter who’s frequently invited to speak on a variety of special education legal topics. He regards public education as the most important institution in American society and finds it gratifying to effect policy change at the state and local level and contribute to improving America’s educational system.

Gideon Kracov is a distinguished mediator with thirty years of experience in civil, real estate, and environmental matters. He has an extensive background navigating complex legal disputes, coupled with significant experience at the highest levels of California state government. Using his mediation and facilitation skills, Mr. Kracov can break through impasse and settle before litigation, and after lawsuits are filed. The Daily Journal describes him as a “highly collaborative” and “pragmatic” mediator with a “committed approach to preparation.”  He has “credibility with all parties, perhaps the highest currency.”

Mr. Kracov offers both in-person and virtual mediation services as an alternative to protracted litigation, working diligently with the parties every step of the way – from pre-mediation calls to post-mediation follow-up – towards resolving the dispute.

Maribel Lopez is an associate in the firm’s Government and Litigation practice groups. She focuses on labor and employment and general government litigation law. Maribel has experience with a variety of employment-related claims, including wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, failure to accommodate, administrative claims and complex wage-and-hour class action litigation violations.

During law school, Maribel served as a judicial extern for the Supreme Court of California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, a senior staff of USF law review and Co-President of USF La Raza Law Student Association.

Megan McClurg is an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Oceanside. She has been practicing law since 2003, and is experienced in both civil litigation and advisory matters. 

Ms. McClurg currently provides legal advice and assistance to multiple City departments and divisions including the City Clerk, Information Technology, Human Resources, Housing and Neighborhood Services, Parks and Recreation, as well as the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission and Harbor District. She endeavors to assist in creating and maintaining a safe, vibrant city for the residents of Oceanside as envisioned in the City’s Municipal Code and Charter. 

Ms. McClurg is licensed to practice law in California and Arizona. Prior to her position at the City of Oceanside, Ms. McClurg served as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Chula Vista, an Assistant Attorney General for the Tohono O’odham Nation, and as a Staff Attorney for Southern Arizona Legal Aid. Ms. McClurg received a Bachelor of Arts degree in German and Political Science from Trinity University, a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Arizona, and a postgraduate Master of Laws degree in Indigenous Peoples’ Law and Policy from the University of Arizona. 

Michael J. McDonnell.  Michael is the Assistant General Counsel for the San Diego County Water Authority.  During his career, his practice has focused on municipal law matters as both a litigator and transactional attorney with both private firms and as in-house counsel.  In his current role, Michael provides advisory and transactional counsel to the board of directors and agency management/staff on a wide variety of legal issues relating to public works construction, real property matters, public procurement and contracting, the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, and other municipal law matters.  Michael received his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2008 and his B.A. from Arizona State University in 2004.   

Lorena Mora is a Deputy City Attorney with the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney in the Airport Division. In her role, she provides advice and counsel on all matters of the employer-employee relationship arising out of the civilian workforce of the City of Los Angeles, Department of Airports (LAX and Van Nuys Airports).  She works closely with various operations and business units on compliance and litigation matters ranging from traditional labor issues to state and federal employment matters, all within the context of a 24/7 commercial service airport operation subject to overlapping federal laws, including the Federal Aviation Administration of the US Department of Transportation and the Transportation Security Administration of the Department of Homeland Security.  Prior to joining the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, she worked in the private sector representing both private and public entities in single-plaintiff and class action employment lawsuits for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to college and university institutions in employment and Title IX actions. She believes in the inherent good of public serving institutions and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Public Law Section of the California Lawyers Association. 

Away from practice, Lorena fulfills her creative side by participating as a playwright and actor in community-based theatres in the Los Angeles area. 

Marcelo Quiñones currently serves as the General Counsel for the Alameda County Office of Education.  Marcelo advises ACOE on its operation of schools for the county’s most vulnerable student populations and its support for the 18 Alameda County public school districts.

Prior to joining ACOE, Marcelo led the Education Law Team and served as a member of the Social Justice and Impact Litigation Team in the Santa Clara County Counsel’s office.  He specializes in solving complex problems for K-14 local educational agencies by demystifying complex legal frameworks and identifying concrete solutions.  As a former fifth grade teacher, Marcelo understands and appreciates the school setting and classroom dynamics, and he applies this background and perspective in offering practical guidance to administrators that reflects an understanding of schools’ core missions and the complexities of the educational environment.  He has advised on a broad array of student services matters, board policy and administrative regulation updates, confidentiality of education records, contracting, board governance, public records, school discipline, interdistrict transfer requests, and policy initiatives.   

Marcelo previously worked on enforcement and regulatory guidance in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), with an emphasis on language access services for students and families and disparities in school discipline.  He led OCR’s investigation into the discipline practices of one of the largest school districts in the country.  Marcelo utilizes his experience supervising, conducting, and advising on policy related to civil rights investigation while at the U.S. Department of Education to conduct thorough and impartial investigations on sensitive and high-profile matters for school districts.   

While in private practice, Marcelo represented government entities in charter school matters and commercial clients in corporate and government investigations, securities enforcement, and complex commercial litigation.  His pro bono practice emphasized educational equity, including language access, school assignment practices, and a case in which he represented Mexican American students challenging Arizona’s ethnic studies ban. 

Marcelo’s professional expertise includes education law, civil rights laws, government contracting and investigations, policy initiatives and affirmative litigation, and juvenile justice records, institutions, and services. 

As a first-generation college student and a second-generation immigrant who first learned about resilience and the importance of education from witnessing the persistence and achievements of his family, Marcelo has dedicated his career to expanding educational opportunities for students. 

A career public servant, Raymond (Ray) is passionate about promoting civility in the legal profession, coalition building, and mentorship. He currently serves as an Assistant General Counsel with the Office of General Counsel at the State Bar of California, where he provides general legal advice to various offices and defends the State Bar in state and federal litigation. He previously served as a lead Deputy City Attorney with the Trial Team of the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, where he defended the City and its employees in significant civil rights and personal injury cases. Prior to that, Ray served as a Deputy City Attorney with the Hayward City Attorney’s Office, as an associate at Haapala, Thompson, and Abern LLP, and as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. 

 Ray currently serves as President of the Foundation of the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF), the nation’s oldest and largest LGBTQI+ Bar Association. Ray also serves as Alternate Regional Governor for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and previously served as LGBTQ+ Network Co-Chair for six years. He is a board member of the Northern District of California Historical Society (NDHS) and a member of the Judiciary Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area (AABA). In January 2024, Ray was appointed by Chief Judge Richard Seeborg to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Civil Local Rules Attorney Advisory Committee. 

 Ray is Past President of the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC) and served as the first LGBTQ+ President in the organization’s 44-year history. During his tenure on the FBANC Board, Ray worked with various community leaders to establish four scholarships, including the BALIF/FBANC Pamilya (Family) Scholarship, the first of its kind scholarship in the country awarded to LGBTQ+ Filipinx law students. In 2020, he founded the Komunidad Conference, the only conference in the country catered to the specific needs and issues faced by Filipino/a/x law students. 

 In 2022, the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association recognized Ray as one of the country’s Best 40 Lawyers Under 40. In 2023, Ray received a Minority Bar Coalition Unity Award. In July 2024, in recognition of his service to the legal profession, the American Bar Association honored Ray as an On The Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyer. In November 2024, Ray was recognized by NAPABA as a 2024 Best Under 40 honoree.

Kathryn Romo is an attorney with Best Best & Krieger’s Advanced Records Center (ARC), where she combines her legal experience with the firm’s cutting-edge technology to provide efficient and effective support for public records and e-Discovery requests. 

Before joining BBK, Kathryn was deputy county counsel in the Special Litigation and Advisory Services Division of the Office of County Counsel for Riverside County, California. She was responsible for representing the county in litigation matters at the trial and appellate levels, including public nuisance abatement, elections, tax, contract and animal services cases. She also advised the county about issues related to California’s Political Reform Act, amended the Riverside County Conflict of Interest Code, and researched and drafted memoranda on campaign contribution regulations. Kathryn also clerked for the Office of County Counsel, where she drafted memoranda on the Brown Act, attorney-client privilege, local election laws and governmental tort liability.

While in law school, Kathryn was an intern at the School District of Philadelphia, Temple Legal Aid Clinic, Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, the Sheller Center for Social Justice, as well as the Riverside County Office of County Counsel. Additionally, Kathryn spent a semester abroad studying international law at Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid, Spain. She also served as Co-President of the Student Public Interest Network and was an active member in the Latin American Law Students Association.

In her free time, Kathryn enjoys a variety of hobbies including photography and calligraphy, as well as spending time with family and friends. 

Andrew Shen joined RPLG in September 2022, after 15 years in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. At RPLG, Andrew focuses on providing cost-effective and efficient legal advice in response to his clients’ needs.

Andrew’s current clients include cities and special districts located throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. As the City Attorney, General Counsel, or Legal Counsel for these agencies, Andrew addresses the wide range of questions and issues facing local agencies in California. Andrew also advises non-profit organizations that work closely with local governments.

At the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, he provided a range of general government advice, with special expertise in ethics and elections. When he departed the City Attorney’s Office, Andrew served as the Team Leader for the City Attorney’s Office’s Ethics and Elections Team.

Andrew’s practice includes general government advice, land use and housing, ethics and conflicts of interest, election law, public meeting and records compliance, and constitutional law. He previously served as a member of the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office’s Land Use Team, with a background in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Subdivision Map Act. In the land use arena, Andrew worked with the San Francisco Planning Department and the Department of Public Works on project approvals and public infrastructure.

Andrew also provides expertise on legal ethics and served as a member of the California State Bar’s Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct in 2011-13.

At the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, Andrew routinely advised the Mayor’s Office, Board of Supervisors, commissioners, department heads and other City staff on legislation, conflicts of interest, election law, and ethics compliance. He staffed public meetings of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Board of Supervisors committees, and commissions, working closely with clerks and commission secretaries. During his time in the City Attorney’s Office, Andrew’s primary clients included the Ethics Commission, Department of Elections, Elections Commission, Ballot Simplification Committee, and Redistricting Task Force. Andrew also served on the City Attorney’s Office’s Racial Equity Task Force from 2020 to 2022.

After graduating from UC Berkeley Law, Andrew served as a law clerk to the Hon. William J. Rea, Senior District Court Judge for the Central District of California. Upon completing his clerkship, Andrew was a litigation associate at Keker & Van Nest LLP before joining the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. 

Kate Stanford joined the County of Marin’s Office of the County Counsel in 2019.  She has extensive experience in various areas including health law, homelessness, general government/Brown Act, public records, and employment law. She currently provides advice and counsel to the County’s Health and Human Services Department, the County’s Office of Equity, the County’s Free Public Library, and several special districts.  

Prior to joining County Counsel, Kate ran a medical-legal partnership at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County from 2016-2019.  Kate also served as a guardian ad litem to children and youth in foster care in Washington, D.C. with the Children’s Law Center from 2012-2016.  

Kate earned a B.A. with honors from Stanford University and attended law school at NYU School of Law.  Between college and law school, Kate spent three years teaching middle school in the South Bronx with Teach for America.

Priscilla Tomescu is a Deputy City Attorney in the Airports Division of the City of Los Angeles Office of the City Attorney. The Airports Division acts as General Counsel to Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), its officers and employees, and the Board of Airport Commissioners. LAWA is the governing body for Los Angeles International and Van Nuys General Aviation Airports.

Ms. Tomescu provides legal advice to various levels of LAWA management and to the Board, encompassing all phases of a municipal, airport, and business law practice. She assists LAWA in diverse transactional and regulatory matters and related disputes and litigation. Her work includes drafting, negotiation, and enforcement of various agreements, procurement lifecycle counseling, and handling federal and state regulatory matters, including FAA, DHS, USDOT, ADA, and Caltrans issues. Ms. Tomescu also advises LAWA on issues relating to the Ralph M. Brown Act, as well as all phases of compliance and litigation under the California Public Records Act. 

Prior to joining the City of Los Angeles, Ms. Tomescu was an Assistant City Attorney with the City and County of Denver in the Municipal Operations Unit, providing litigation representation and general counseling to several City departments in commercial, construction, land use, and bankruptcy matters. Her background also includes civil defense litigation as an associate with a Denver law firm, and as a legal advisor on EPCM and P3 issues with Fluor Corporation. 

Ms. Tomescu obtained her J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. She is licensed to practice in California and Colorado.