Sustaining the Rule of Law: 60 Years of the Central District of California

Byron Stier, Professor of Law, Co-Director, Panish Civil Justice Program, and Director, Civil Litigation & Advocacy Concentrations, Southwestern Law School

Professor Stier is a recognized expert in mass tort litigation and legal education. He has spoken at or moderated more than 30 scholarly presentations and panels and, in conjunction with the Southwestern Law Review, has co-chaired symposia on asbestos litigation; science, technology, and innovation in torts; and the Restatement (Third) of Torts.

His scholarship includes more than a dozen articles and book chapters and has been cited by courts, national legal organizations, the Federal Judicial Center, and leading treatises. He was named Director of the J.D. Concentration in Civil Litigation and Advocacy in 2020, and Co-Director of the Panish Civil Justice Program in 2025.

Hon. Dolly Gee, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California

Chief Judge Dolly M. Gee serves as Chief United States District Judge for the Central District of California. President Barack Obama nominated her to the federal bench in 2009, and she received her commission in January 2010. She became chief judge in 2024.

Before joining the bench, Chief Judge Gee practiced law in Los Angeles for more than two decades and served on the Federal Service Impasses Panel. She earned her bachelor’s degree and J.D. from UCLA and is the first Chinese American woman to serve as an Article III federal judge.

Emily Newman, Deputy Circuit Librarian, United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit

Emily Newman serves as Deputy Circuit Librarian for the United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit, helping lead legal research and information services for judges, chambers staff, court employees, attorneys, and members of the public throughout the circuit.

Newman brings more than two decades of experience with the Ninth Circuit’s library system. She has helped expand access to legal resources, strengthen research support, adapt services to changing technologies, and advance civic education programs focused on the Constitution and federal courts.

Julia Seiter, Librarian, United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit

Julia Seiter serves as a Librarian with the United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit in Los Angeles. Her work focuses on legal research, reference services, digital resources, and access to information within the federal judiciary.

Seiter joined the court in 2010 and has also contributed to its civic education initiatives, including serving as a preliminary-round judge for the Ninth Circuit Civics Contest. She studied at the University of Missouri–Columbia.

Moderator — Andrea Ramos, Professor of Law, Director of Clinical Programs, and Director of Immigration Clinic, Southwestern Law School

Andrea Ramos is Professor of Law, Director of Clinical Programs, and Director of the Immigration Law Clinic at Southwestern Law School. She established the clinic, where she supervises students representing children and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes in immigration matters.

Before joining Southwestern, Professor Ramos spent 10 years at Public Counsel, where she led programs serving children and young people. She earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Arizona State University and her J.D. from the University of Southern California.

Speaker — Ahilan Arulanatham, Professor from Practice and Faculty Co-Director, Minana Family Center for Immigration Law and Policy, UCLA School of Law

Ahilan T. Arulanantham is Professor from Practice and Faculty Co-Director of the Miñana Family Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law. His teaching and litigation practice focus on immigrants’ rights and civil liberties.

Professor Arulanantham has argued four times before the U.S. Supreme Court and previously spent nearly two decades with the ACLU in Los Angeles. A 2016 MacArthur Fellow, he earned degrees from Georgetown University, Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar, and Yale Law School.

Speaker — Philip Costa, Associate Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School (former United States Immigration Judge)

Philip Costa is Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School. He joined the full-time faculty in 2025 after serving for 15 years as a United States Immigration Judge and six years as a Southwestern adjunct professor.

Before his judicial appointment, Professor Costa served as Deputy Chief Counsel for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in New York and practiced complex commercial litigation. He earned his B.A., summa cum laude, and J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University.

Speaker — Neils Frenzen, Sidney M. and Audrey M. Irmas Endowed Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Immigration Clinic, USC Gould School of Law

Niels W. Frenzen is the Sidney M. and Audrey M. Irmas Endowed Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Immigration Clinic at USC Gould School of Law. He has taught at USC since 2000 and practiced immigration and refugee law since 1985.

Through the Immigration Clinic, Professor Frenzen supervises students representing asylum seekers, detained immigrants, survivors of crime, and clients facing deportation. Before joining USC, he held leadership roles at Public Counsel’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and the Haitian Refugee Center. He earned his B.A. from Beloit College and his J.D. from Drake University Law School. 

Commenter — Hon. Brianna Fuller Mircheff, United States Magistrate Judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California

Judge Brianna Fuller Mircheff has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California since 2023. She presides over matters in Los Angeles and previously spent more than 15 years with the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of California, serving in both trial and appellate roles.

Judge Mircheff later served as Chief of Writs and Appeals, overseeing post-sentencing litigation and supervising a team of attorneys. She earned her B.A. from Messiah College and her J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and clerked for Judge Harry Pregerson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Commenter — Hon. Hernán Vera, United States District Judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California

Judge Hernán D. Vera has served as a United States District Judge for the Central District of California since 2023. He previously served on the Los Angeles County Superior Court and was President and CEO of Public Counsel, one of the nation’s largest pro bono public interest law firms.

Before joining the bench, Judge Vera practiced complex civil litigation at Bird Marella and O’Melveny & Myers and worked as an attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He earned his B.A. from Stanford University and his J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

Moderator — John Heilman, Professor of Law and Director, Critical Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies Concentration, Southwestern Law School

John Heilman is Professor of Law and Director of the Critical Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies Concentration at Southwestern Law School. He teaches courses including Criminal Law, Constitutional Criminal Procedure, Torts, Property, and Local Government Law and has received multiple awards for excellence in teaching.

Professor Heilman has also built a distinguished career in public service. He served eight terms as Mayor of West Hollywood and on the City Council from 1984 to 2020 before returning to the council in 2022. He earned his journalism degree from Northwestern University and his J.D., M.P.A., and M.R.E.D. from USC.

Speaker — Sharon Dolovich, Professor of Law, Faculty Director, UCLA Prison Law & Policy Program, Director, UCLA Behind Bars Data Project, and Faculty Co-Director, Criminal Law & Policy Consortium, UCLA School of Law

Sharon Dolovich is Professor of Law, Faculty Director of the UCLA Prison Law & Policy Program, Director of the UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project, and Faculty Co-Director of the Criminal Law & Policy Consortium. A leading scholar of prisons and prison law, her work examines the Eighth Amendment, prison conditions, and the state’s obligations to incarcerated people.

Professor Dolovich has taught at UCLA since 2000 and received the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award in 2021. She earned her B.A. from Queen’s University, Ph.D. from Cambridge University, and J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Laurie L. Levenson, David W. Burcham Chair in Ethical Advocacy and Professor of Law, Loyola Law School, Loyola Marymount University

Laurie L. Levenson is a nationally recognized scholar and commentator on criminal law, criminal procedure, legal ethics, and the criminal justice system. She is the founding director of Loyola’s Project for the Innocent and also leads programs focused on ethical advocacy and criminal justice reform.

Before joining Loyola, Professor Levenson served for eight years as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles, handling federal criminal trials and appeals. She earned her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and clerked for Judge James Hunter III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Speaker — Michael Morse '13, Assistant United States Attorney, Central District of California

Michael Morse is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School and an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California, where he prosecutes federal criminal matters. He also coordinates the academic component of Southwestern’s criminal-law externships and teaches California Evidence and Sentencing Law.

Before entering federal service, Professor Morse prosecuted juvenile and adult felony cases as a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney. A longtime coach with Southwestern’s Trial Advocacy Honors Program, he has helped students earn multiple national mock trial championships. He received his B.A. from Cal State LA and his J.D. from Southwestern.

Commenter — Hon. Patricia Donahue, United States Magistrate Judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California

Judge Patricia A. Donahue has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California since 2020. Before joining the bench, she spent nearly three decades as an Assistant United States Attorney, holding leadership roles in major crimes, organized crime and terrorism, national security, public corruption, and professional responsibility.

Judge Donahue also helped develop initiatives addressing child exploitation, human trafficking, and violent crime. She earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.

Commenter — Hon. Michael Fitzgerald, United States District Judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California

Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald has served as a United States District Judge for the Central District of California since 2012. Before joining the bench, he handled complex civil and criminal matters in private practice and served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

Judge Fitzgerald has also held numerous public service and bar leadership roles, including work with panels examining the Los Angeles Police Department. He earned his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard University and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Moderator — Darby Dickerson, President & Dean, Southwestern Law School

Darby Dickerson is President, Dean, and Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School. She joined Southwestern in 2021 as its 12th dean and the second woman to hold the position. A nationally recognized leader in legal education, she has led five law schools and served as president of the Association of American Law Schools.

Her scholarship focuses on legal writing, drafting, editing, legal education, and civil litigation. Before entering academia, Dean Dickerson clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and practiced commercial litigation in Dallas. She earned her B.A. and M.A. from William & Mary and her J.D. from Vanderbilt University.

Speaker — Hailyn Chen, Partner, Munger Tolles & Olson LLP

Hailyn J. Chen is a litigation partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson, where she represents clients in complex civil litigation, sensitive investigations, white-collar matters, and regulatory and reputational crises. She is nationally recognized for advising colleges and universities on Title VI, Title IX, campus misconduct, and other high-profile legal challenges.

Chen served as the firm’s co-managing partner from 2019 to 2025. She earned her B.A. from Yale University and her J.D. from UCLA School of Law before clerking for Judge A. Wallace Tashima of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Speaker — Jesse Creed, Partner and Trial Attorney, Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP

Jesse Creed is a partner and trial attorney with Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP, where he handles high-stakes matters involving catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, sexual abuse, and product liability. Licensed in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii, he serves as Individual Plaintiffs Co-Liaison Counsel in the Maui Fires litigation and as Liaison Counsel in the Social Media Addiction Cases.

A three-time recipient of the California Lawyer Attorney of the Year award, Creed has been recognized among the Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers in California, the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Leaders of Influence, the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, Southern California Super Lawyers, and The Best Lawyers in America.

Speaker — Hon. Philip S. Gutierrez (Ret.), former Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California and former Distinguished Jurist-in-Residence, Southwestern Law School

The Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez is a mediator and arbitrator with JAMS. He served as a United States District Judge for the Central District of California from 2007 until his retirement in 2024, including four years as Chief Judge.

Before joining the federal bench, Judge Gutierrez served on the Whittier Municipal Court and Los Angeles Superior Court and practiced complex business litigation, professional malpractice, and insurance coverage law. He earned his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

Speaker — Philip Talbert, Associate Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School (former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California)

Phillip A. Talbert is Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Criminal Law and Advocacy Concentration at Southwestern Law School. He joined the faculty in 2026 after a career as a federal prosecutor, culminating in his service as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California.

Professor Talbert previously prosecuted public corruption, immigration fraud, child exploitation, drug trafficking, and violent crime cases and led appellate practice and attorney training. He earned his B.A. from Harvard University, M.Ec. from the University of Sydney, and J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

Moderator — Alex Chemerinsky, Associate Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School

Alex Chemerinsky is Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School, where he teaches Civil Procedure. An accomplished appellate litigator, he has represented plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal appellate courts.

Professor Chemerinsky’s scholarship focuses on liberty and technology, particularly freedom of expression, privacy, and creativity in the digital age. Before joining Southwestern, he practiced civil appellate litigation in Los Angeles and clerked for both federal district and appellate courts. He earned his B.A., cum laude, from Tulane University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Speaker — Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law

Erwin Chemerinsky has served as Dean of Berkeley Law since 2017 and is a nationally recognized scholar of constitutional law, federal jurisdiction, and civil rights. He is the author of 22 books and more than 200 law review articles and frequently argues appellate cases, including before the United States Supreme Court.

Before joining Berkeley, Dean Chemerinsky was the founding dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law and previously taught at Duke University and the University of Southern California. He served as President of the Association of American Law Schools in 2022 and earned his B.S. from Northwestern University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Speaker — Michael Epstein, Professor of Law, Director, Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law Concentration, and Supervising Editor, Journal of International Media and Entertainment Law, Southwestern Law School 

Michael M. Epstein is Professor of Law, Director of the Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law Concentration, and Supervising Editor of the Journal of International Media & Entertainment Law at Southwestern Law School. He also founded Southwestern’s Amicus Project, through which students help prepare appellate briefs.

Professor Epstein’s scholarship focuses on media, entertainment, technology, artificial intelligence, and online disinformation. A two-time Fulbright recipient, he has advised and trained international audiences on digital citizenship and information integrity. He earned his B.A. and J.D. from Columbia University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Speaker — Benjamin Zipursky, James Quinn '49 Chair in Legal Ethics and Professor of Law, Fordham University School of Law

Benjamin C. Zipursky is the James H. Quinn ’49 Chair in Legal Ethics and Professor of Law at Fordham Law School. An internationally recognized scholar, his work focuses on torts, defamation and privacy, products liability, and jurisprudence. He has taught at Fordham since 1995 and has served several terms as an associate dean.

Professor Zipursky has published more than 100 articles and chapters and helped establish civil recourse theory as a leading model of tort law. His honors include the 2023 William L. Prosser Award and the 2024 Hart-Dworkin Award in Legal Philosophy.

Commenter — Hon. Michelle Williams Court, United States District Judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California

Judge Michelle Williams Court has served as a United States District Judge for the Central District of California since 2024. She previously served for 12 years on the Los Angeles County Superior Court, including as Supervising Judge of the Civil Division.

Before joining the bench, Judge Court held several leadership positions at Bet Tzedek Legal Services, including Vice President and General Counsel, and practiced civil rights and public interest law. She earned her B.A. from Pomona College and her J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.

Commenter — Hon. Michael B. Kaufman, United States Magistrate Judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California

Judge Michael B. Kaufman has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California since 2025. Before joining the bench, he served as a Deputy Federal Public Defender and spent 14 years as a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, where his practice focused on complex civil rights litigation involving immigration and the criminal legal system.

Earlier in his career, Judge Kaufman was a Skadden Fellow with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. He earned his B.A. and J.D. from Stanford University and clerked for Judge Sidney R. Thomas of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.