Professor Rachel Van Cleave is a Visiting Professor at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, where she teaches Criminal Procedure, Constitutional Law, and Comparative #MeToo, and has developed innovative courses including Reimagining Criminal Justice, Rebellious Lawyering, and Katrina and Disaster Law. She has previously taught at Texas Tech, Golden Gate, Richmond, Santa Clara, UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), and served as a Gray Fellow at Stanford Law School. A Stanford University graduate, she earned her J.D. from UC Law San Francisco, clerked for the Honorable Sam D. Johnson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and later earned a J.S.M. from Stanford. A two-time J. William Fulbright Scholar, she conducted research at Italy’s Constitutional Court and later at Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassazione, focusing on comparative criminal justice and gender-based violence. Professor Van Cleave has authored dozens of articles and book chapters advocating for marginalized and vulnerable communities, and in 2024 completed Warrior One’s Mindfulness in Law Teacher Training Program, emphasizing meditation and mindfulness in the legal profession.

Jeff Phang is Counsel at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Jeff advises clients with state tax and local income, franchise, and sales and use tax issues. Jeff focuses primarily on tax controversy including voluntary disclosure agreements, audit defense, protest, settlement negotiation and appeals proceedings. Jeff also advises on mergers and acquisition state and local tax diligence for a diverse range of businesses.

Jackie Zumaeta is the Deputy Chief Counsel for the Special and Generalized Tax Administration and Procedure Bureau at the State of California Franchise Tax Board.  Ms. Zumaeta earned her JD and LLM in Taxation at the University of San Diego School of Law, where she participated in the Tax Appeals Assistance Program for a year and fell in love with tax.  After finishing school, Ms. Zumaeta started her career at the Franchise Tax Board and was eventually selected to serve as the franchise and income tax liaison to the Chair of the Board of Equalization for two years. Ms. Zumaeta served as a manager at PwC before leaving to become the first Assistant Chief Counsel at the newly formed Office of Tax Appeals in December of 2017.  In July 2019, Ms. Zumaeta returned to FTB and was appointed to her current role in November, 2024.  Ms. Zumaeta is passionate about participating in the tax community and began working with the Taxation Section by chairing the Sacramento chapter of the Young Tax Lawyers.