Pepperdine Caruso Law Congratulates David Portillo

Pepperdine Caruso Law is pleased to congratulate its recent bell-ringer in celebration of post-graduate employment success, David Portillo! David was joined in the happy festivities by Dean Paul Caron, Professsor Jeff Baker, Professor Babette Boliek, directors and members of the Career Development, Deans' Suite, and Admissions Offices, and David's classmates and his wife Ashley. Prior to ringing the bell, David thanked Ashley and all his law school friends.

Following graduation, David will be a first-year associate at the firm Gates, Gonter, Guy, Proudfoot & Muench (G3PM). David will be on the firm's litigation team at their Irvine, California office, where he will handle business litigation and personal injury cases. He learned about the position through a friend and applied directly to one of the firm's partners, Caruso Law alumnus Bobby Gardner, who interviewed David and offered him the position. David came to law school to be a litigator and he is proud that he will be able to support his family right away doing exactly that. 

David completed his undergraduate degree at Austin Peay State University (APSU) in Clarksville, Tennessee, the town where he grew up. While at APSU, David had the opportunity to study the Holocaust in Europe, and was active as a police explorer and in the Hispanic Cultural Center. Originally, he wanted to serve in local law enforcement but decided to pursue a career in law after serving as an intern with the Tennessee Legislature and upon the advice of professor John Phillips. David studied for the LSAT in Connecticut while he worked to support my wife as she earned her masters degree, whereupon they decided to settle in California to be near both of their families. 

David's favorite activity at Caruso Law has been as a Moot Court team member, which he believes to be the best training in legal argumentation he could have had. David is proud to have served as a Judicial Extern to the Honorable Patricia Donahue in the Central District, and as a Legal Intern for the Public Law Center, which gave me the opportunity to learn directly from accomplished legal experts. He is also proud to have served as Note and Comment Editor for the Administrative Law Journal, allowing him to work on an excellent team of hard workers and friends, and as President of Pepperdine's National Lawyers Guild (NLG) chapter, giving him a chance to bring attention to serious social issues through the annual Week Against Mass Incarceration. 

David has met many great people at Pepperdine Caruso Law. He would like to especially thank Professors Steven Schultz, Mark Kubisch, Jeff Baker, and Babette Boliek, for being such great guides to the legal profession, and for pushing him to be the best law student he could be. David would also like to thank each member of the NLG Board, who made the work they did through that organization possible; the NAALJ team, who made it possible for him to get his work published; his mother; and each and every friend and colleague who has been there for him. He couldn't have made it without everyone. 

The biggest appreciation David could ever have, however, is for his wife, Ashley Templeton, for bearing so much over these three years, supporting him, fighting alongside him, and now for carrying their daughter Eliana. Ash is the greatest friend he could have and his rock. David cannot wait to start the next chapter of their lives together. 

Congratulations to David!