Jon Golinger (JD 10)

What are you doing this summer?

I am working as a Judicial Extern for Presiding Justice J. Anthony Kline of the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, which has been a terrific experience. I love walking through the doors of the historic California Courthouse every morning.

Tell me something interesting about your background before you came to Golden Gate?

Before coming to Golden Gate, I was a community organizer and public interest advocate for 14 years. I was a lobbyist in Sacramento for 3 of those years, working as the Consumer Program Director for CALPIRG to shape legislation to fight identity theft, crack down on rip-offs by big banks, and strengthen product safety laws. For the last few years I've worked as the Director of Citizens to Save the Waterfront, a coalition of neighborhood and local business groups working to protect San Francisco's unique and historic waterfront.

Did activist work impact your decision to go to law school?

Absolutely. In my time in Sacramento working for CALPIRG, I saw first-hand the disproportionate influence that wealthy interests and their lobbyists have over the lawmaking process. I was the only representative from a public interest group in dozens of meetings with legislators, with the rest of the room filled with highly paid lobbyists for credit card companies, banks, and other corporate interests. I was glad to be able to give consumers a voice in the room but always knew I was outgunned by people who had more clout and a better grasp of the law. While I will always be outnumbered in those rooms, I want to know enough next time to have the law on my side to balance the scales.

Please share something special about your law school experience thus far.

Being a teaching assistant (TA) has been the best surprise. I was honored when Professor Kosel asked me to TA her evening Contracts class, but wasn't sure I knew enough to do a good job. My TA seemed like a Contracts genius, and I knew how hard I had to work to grasp those concepts. I discovered that I really like teaching and learned that there's no better way to deepen your understanding of the law than to have to teach it to others.

What is your greatest source of motivation/support as you work towards your JD?

My parents, both of whom went back to school later in life. My father was a surgeon who became a psychiatrist, and now he combines those backgrounds in his practice. My mother went to law school after having been a nurse, a stay at home mom, and a hospital administrator. Now she practices immigration law and is thrilled I'm on my way to a JD.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In California fighting the good fight.

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not at law school?

I live in the best part of the city, North Beach, the home of great cafés such as Café Greco, Café Roma, and Café Trieste. So I spend I lot of time there reading and chatting with friends and neighbors. I am also a part-time DJ at 90.3 FM KUSF, so I listen to lots of music.

What advice do you have for first-year law students?

Read all of the cases. Don't take shortcuts, just put in the time. It's painful at first but the more you do the quicker you can do it. Ask several people what you might worry are stupid questions about how to take notes and outline in a way that will actually help you on exams. Seek out students who had your professor to ask what worked for them. Make sure you ask more than one person because we all learn differently.

Now, let's have some fun with a few free-spirited questions. What is your favorite book?

"Profiles in Courage" by John F. Kennedy and a collection of John Updike's short stories called "Trust Me."

What was the last movie you saw? Do you recommend it?

"Chronicles of Narnia" was terrible, but I just saw "Walk Hard" on DVD and it's hilarious.

What is your favorite movie?

"Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid." I don't like most Westerns but this one is great because it's funny and doesn't end with the good guys riding off into the sunset.

If you were to participate in a reality show, which one would it be?

I'm not a reality show fan but if I had to I guess I'd say Judge Judy, because she's crazy.

If you were not pursuing a legal career, what would you want to do?

Be a photographer. I love to travel and take pictures of the world swirling around me.

Channeling Barbara Walters, if you were a tree what kind would you be?

That's easy, a palm tree - a long life of lazy days on the beach with no deadlines. Plus you make those cool coconuts.

What message do you have for your fellow law students?

It all pays off.