Attorney & Lecturer

Julie started her legal career as a litigator but has spent the last 27 years as a legal advisor to local and regional government agencies with the goal of preventing matters from escalating to litigation. Her philosophy is that the keys to avoiding many disputes and misunderstandings are training and communication as they lead to better informed decisions based on knowledge of risks and likely outcomes. She offers a deep understanding of federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, coupled with a pragmatic approach that enables creative design and use of educational materials that are easily understood and immediately useful.

Julie’s areas of legal expertise include open government laws, government procurement and contract law, civil rights law, employment law, and ethics laws. She has used all of these areas of knowledge as inside legal counsel for the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)and San Diego North County Transit District (NCTD), where she wrote dozens of policies and manuals, supervised over 30 staff, served on executive teams for 25 years, advised boards and committees in over 500 public meetings, including Board of Directors’ retreats and workshops, and trained elected officials and public employees on topics such as the Brown Act, procurement, governance, ethics, anti-harassment laws, and conflict navigation. 

Over the years Julie has facilitated many complex and controversial discussions, advised on risk balancing and political optics, developed policies and procedures to smooth and streamline processes, and assisted agency elected officials and staff in reaching positive outcomes in most situations. 

What sets Julie’s teaching style apart from others is that she does not use canned speeches or verbose slide decks. Instead, the focus is on connecting with the participants, giving them skills that are easy to remember, and demonstrating how legal requirements apply to situations they are likely to experience in their jobs. She does not believe in teaching something that no one will remember or know how to apply once the class is over.

Since retiring from full-time legal counsel roles in December 2023, Julie has become a certified mediator and has worked as a retired annuitant and consultant. Julie regularly performs mediations on behalf of the San Diego Superior Court. In addition, she teaches graduate level classes as an adjunct professor at San Diego State University. Julie truly enjoys teaching and facilitating conflict resolution.