Two Empire Law Alumni Join California Judiciary

March 12, 2019

Two Empire Law Alumni Join California Judiciary

J. David Markham, a 2000 graduate of Empire College School of Law, and Kathleen “Katie” Ferchland Boriolo, Class of 2009, have recently been appointed to the California judiciary. This marks 14 Empire College School of Law alumni who are members of the judiciary in California (13) and Arizona (1).

Gov. Jerry Brown announced the appointment of J. David Markham to succeed Judge Richard Martin as a Superior Court Judge in Lake County. Markham served as a deputy district attorney at the Lake County District Attorney’s Office from 2001 to 2002. From 2003 to 2004, he was an associate at Alvord and Ewing in Clearlake. Since 2004, he has been a sole practitioner handling both criminal and civil cases.

Katie Ferchland Boriolo has been appointed to the Worker’s Compensation Appeals Board as an administrative law judge. Admitted to the State Bar of California in 2010, she worked for a year as an associate attorney with Mullen & Filippi before joining the Ferchland Law Office in Santa Rosa as an advocate for injured workers and the disabled in all stages of Social Security disability claims.

 

J. David Markham and Kathleen “Katie” Ferchland Boriolo

 

Empire College School of Law’s distinguished list of judges includes:

Hon. Shelly Averill
Sonoma County Superior Court Judge
Class of 1996

Hon. Raima H. Ballinger
Sonoma County Superior Court Judge
Class of 1978

Hon. Grant Barrett
Calaveras County Superior Court Judge
Class of 1995

Hon. Carla F. Bonilla (Ret.)
Sonoma County Superior Court Commissioner
Class of 1982

Hon. Kathleen Ferchland Boriolo
Administrative Law Judge
Workers Compensation Appeals Board
Class of 2010

Hon. Ron W. Brown (Ret.)
Mendocino County Superior Court Judge
Class of 1978

Hon. Jeanne M. Buckley (Ret.)
Sonoma County Superior Court Commissioner
Class of 1979

Hon. Thomas S. Burr (Ret.)
Juvenile Court Referee, Merced Superior Court
Class of 1980

Hon. J. David Markham
Lake County Superior Court Judge
Class of 2000

Hon. Lawrence Ornell
Sonoma County Superior Court Judge
Class of 1991

Hon. Becky A. Rasmason
Sonoma County Superior Court Commissioner
Class of 1996

Hon. Cathy Riggs
Justice of the Peace, Desert Ridge Justice Court, Arizona
Class of 1995

Hon. Francisca P. Tischer
Napa County Superior Court Judge
Class of 1980

Hon. Michele Verderosa
Lassen County Superior Court Judge
Class of 1996


Alicia Cronbach, Esq.

(Class of 2006)
One of the advantages of Empire as a night vs. traditional law school is the real-life experience that most students have between college and law school. Being a second-career lawyer, you bring a lot more value to the table and to a prospective employer than you may appreciate.

Jacqueline Rosario, Esq

(Class of 2014)
I wanted to be an attorney because I wanted to make a difference in this world, and I feel that I am doing that. It is very rewarding, and I am blessed to be living my dream. I recommend to everybody considering law school that if you want to do this and have the will to do it, do it.

Chris Van Nuys

Operations Manager, LEMO USA, Inc. (Class of 2019)
Empire Law School provided the instruction, guidance, and motivation that I needed to pass the California State Bar Examination on the first try, despite the rigors of managing a full-time career and family commitments in parallel. I would absolutely recommend Empire Law School to anyone looking for relevant and masterful instruction in the subjects of law.