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Education
I graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in
1996. I
earned my B.A. Degree in History, with a specialty in Ancient
to Early
Modern European Cultural Celebrations, and a minor degree in
Rhetoric.
My thesis, entitled, "The Evil of May Day: A Retrospective
Analysis
of the Puritanical Rejection of May Day in 17th Century
England"
discussed the Ancient Celtic, Medieval and Early Modern
culture and
contemporary understanding behind the celebration of May Day.
After U.C. Berkeley, I attended Loyola University of Chicago
for my
first two years of Law School, where I was the Senior Articles
Editor
of the Consumer Law Review. I published an article entitled,
"A Future of Green Power?: The Utility Deregulation in America"
in
the Loyola Consumer Law Review, vol. 10, No. 3 (1998). I
received
my Juris Doctorate in May of 1999 after completing my law
degree at
the University of California, Hastings College of the Law
located in
San Francisco, California.
Clerkships & Firms
During the fall semester of my third year of Law School at
U.C. Hastings,
I clerked for the Honorable Judge Ernest Goldsmith of the
Superior Court
of California in the City and County of San Francisco. I also
researched
for the Honorable Judge Robert Dondero during the fall
semester of 1998
in the Hall of Justice in San Francisco.
During my last semester at U.C. Hastings and after graduation,
I practiced
for one year at the law firm of Berman DeValerio Pease and
Tobacco in
downtown San Francisco where the firm focus was Securities
Antitrust
Class Action Litigation. After that, I switched over to
Corporate Transactional
law at a small boutique firm representing Internet start-ups
in corporate
finance, corporate governance, drafting shareholders rights
agreements
and facilitating mergers and acquisitions in Silicon Valley.
Early Non Profit Work With Animals
In the beginning of my animal law career, throughout the time I practiced with firms, I continued to
pursue my
desire to help animals by taking pro bono animal related cases
and by
volunteering with organizations such as: In Defense of
Animals, Animal
Care and Control and Reunion Rescue's pit bull rescue group. I often advise people to get involved wih your local shelter or animal welfare nonprofit to become acquianted with animal welfare issues.
I finally saw the light and dropped the firm jobs in August of 2001. Now, my practice consists of
95-99% Animal Welfare related cases.
More Publications
Other publications include Isn’t Justice Supposed to be Blind? Practicing Animal Law. Sister Species: Women, Animals and Social Justice, Edited by Lisa Kremmerer, Univ. of Illinois Press (2011) pp. 141-151, and Animal Custody Cases. GPSOLO: General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division. American Bar Association July/August (2009) Vol. 26 No. 5 pp. 22-25.
Since I have been practicing Animal Law, I have been involved in politics and education trying to create lasting change for animals. After six (6) attempts of requesting appointment to the San Francisco Animal Care and Control Commission, I finally was appointed for a term of a little over two years from 2006-2008. Also, from 2003 throughout 2009, I directed my own educational television show entitled "Ethics and Animals" which aired twice a month on San Francisco's Public Access Television, channel 29.
I hope that my experience inspires you too to make a difference for animals.
Very
Truly
Yours,
Christine L. Garcia
The Animal Law Office
State Bar No. 209701
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