ADDITIONAL LINKS
Associate Dean of Lawyering Skills
Why
did you join the University of California, Irvine School of Law faculty?
The chance to work with Erwin Chemerinsky on building a law school
for the future is exciting and irresistible. To be part of the creation
of a new law school where experiential learning is emphasized and lawyering
skills are an integral part of the curriculum will be challenging and
rewarding. Although I have practiced and taught law for almost 30 years,
I have always believed we could do both better. Starting from scratch
gives us the opportunity to put our years of experience together to
build a better law school and profession.
Why did you go into
law teaching?
I was inspired to teach lawyering skills classes because as a new graduate
I discovered how little I had learned in law school about some of the
skills a practicing lawyer should have. I believe we have to understand
the demands placed on young lawyers and to try to prepare them for
the responsibilities and reality of law practice. Students should emerge
from law school with some confidence that they know how to solve legal
problems and to be able to self educate themselves in new areas of
the law. If we can instill good habits in law students that reflect
the skills excellent lawyers possess, we give them the tools for their
future. It is exciting to watch a first-year law student master these
basic beginning skills. And to make that process easier and less intimidating
is my goal as a teacher.
949-824-4037
401 East Peltason Drive, Law 4500-E
Irvine, CA 92697-8000
Faculty Assistant Marisela Galindo
mgalindo@law.uci.edu
(949) 824-2999
- Loyola Law School, J.D., 1978
- California State University, Long Beach, B.A., magna cum laude, political science
- University of Michigan Law School, Legal Practice Program, director, 1995-present
- Loyola Law School, director of legal writing, 1992-1995, 1983-1985
- Loyola Law School, adjunct professor of law, 1991-1992, 1985-1987
- Loyola Law School, associate professor of law, 1979-1985
- Professor Tonner frequently makes presentations around the world on legal writing, and has authored numerous articles on the topic. Presentations include Writing Judicial Opinions, South African Supreme Court of Appeals, 2007; Telling Stories to a Jury at the Applied Legal Storytelling Conference in London, 2007; Writing Program Design and Critiquing Student Work at the Legal Writing Institute in Kenya, 2007; Building a New Legal Writing Program or Overhauling Your Current Program, Association of Legal Writing Directors, Ontario, Canada, 2003; and Looking Forward, Looking Back: 20 Years of Legal Writing, American Association of Law Schools, Legal Writing Section, Washington, D.C., 2000.
- The Journal of the Legal Writing Institute, editorial board, 2001-present
- Burton Legal Scholarship Awards, advisory board, 2000-present
- Burton Distinguished Judicial Writing Award Committee, chair, 2003-present
- Lexis-Nexis Academic Advisory Committee, 2007-present
- Association of Legal Writing Directors, board of directors, 1997-2000
- Tonner & Matera, partner, 1993-1995
- Johnson & Vorwerck, senior associate/supervisor, insurance coverage department, 1988-1992
- Pacific Bell Legal Department, consultant, 1983
- Perona, Langer, LaTorraca & Beck, of counsel, 1980-1982
- Perona, Langer, LaTorraca & Beck, associate, 1978-1979