USD School of Law Alumnae & Water Authority Counsel Serve on Public Law Panel

SAN DIEGO (February 28, 2025) – On Wednesday, February 26, the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law’s Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) hosted a Careers in Public Law panel, offering students valuable insights into the dynamic field of public law. The event featured legal professionals who shared their experiences and provided career guidance for students interested in serving the public sector.

Public law involves representing entities that serve the public interest, including government agencies and municipalities. Panelists emphasized the evolving nature of public law and its impact on critical areas such as municipal governance, water resource management, and infrastructure development.

Heather Ferbert ‘06 (JD), recently elected City Attorney for the City of San Diego highlighted the broad scope of responsibilities within her office. She oversees a team of 180 lawyers and 400 staff members handling:

• Criminal prosecution of misdemeanors
• Civil litigation to defend the City from lawsuits
• Advisory roles to prevent litigation
• Municipal Code enforcement

Ferbert emphasized the varied and evolving nature of the work, citing housing and homelessness as key focus areas. She also noted that there are only 9 or 10 elected City Attorneys in California.

Katharine Killeen ‘81 (JD), Assistant General Counsel, Executive Division, California Department of Water Resources (DWR), described her work leading the climate resilience and technology team. The DWR, responsible for sustainably managing California’s water resources, has 3,500 employees and 50 attorneys across six teams. Killeen’s office oversees:

• Water supply management
• Flood and dam safety
• Protection of water supply from domestic and foreign security threats
• Energy and climate adaptation policies

She noted that the DWR is both the largest consumer of power in California and the fourth-largest energy supplier in the state.

Michael J. McDonnell, Assistant General Counsel, San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA), discussed his agency’s role as a wholesale water supplier to the majority of San Diego County, serving 22 member agencies through a 34-member Board of Directors. He detailed legal responsibilities, including:

• Construction and real estate matters
• Litigation management and compliance
• Contracts and general municipal law
• Infrastructure projects

The SDCWA also manages local and imported water sources, including water from the Colorado River and the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, and is the sole recipient of fresh water from the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant.

McDonnell also serves as the Executive Committee Chair of the California Lawyers Association’s Public Law Section.

Panelists encouraged students to explore public agency internships available in the Spring, Summer, and Fall and emphasized the value of Constitutional Law and Administrative Hearing courses. Other recommendations included:

• Leveraging professional networks through organizations like the San Diego County Bar Association’s (SDCBA) Government Law Section and California Lawyers Association’s (CLA) Public Law Section
  
• Applying for the CLA Public Law Section’s Future Leaders in Public Law Fellowship program, which supports students in unpaid public law positions (applications due in late Spring) 
• Developing strong research and writing skills 
• Preparing for interviews by reviewing public-facing documents to understand the agencies and their missions

The event provided students with an overview of the many career paths in public law and the importance of serving the public interest. Through networking and internships, aspiring public law attorneys can gain valuable experience and make meaningful contributions to society.

About the University of San Diego School of Law

Each year, USD educates approximately 800 Juris Doctor and graduate law students from throughout the United States and around the world. The law school is best known for its offerings in the areas of business and corporate law, constitutional law, intellectual property, international and comparative law, public interest law and taxation.

USD School of Law is one of the 88 law schools elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society for law school graduates. The law school’s faculty is a strong group of outstanding scholars and teachers with national and international reputations and currently ranks 34th nationally among U.S. law faculties in scholarly impact and 37th nationally in past-year faculty downloads on the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN). The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.

Reposted with permission.