2016 SDCBA President Heather Riley opportunities at various law-related organizations before running for a seat on the SDCBA Board of Directors, Heather was asked early on to lead the Association’s Environmental and Land Use Section, and to chair the SDCBA’s delegation to the California Conference of Bar Associations, which brings together attorneys from across the state to create non-partisan solutions to law-related issues and improve laws. Her experience prepared her to take a lead role in restructuring the Bar’s over 40 sections, a large scale project the SDCBA’s Section and Committee Council tackled in 2014. The restructuring is considered a success, as it has not only increased efficiencies for the sections, but also has improved communication and planning between different entities within the
“It's our hope that the community sees the SDCBA as ‘the go-to place’ for legal information, as well as guidance and leadership on important issues.” organization. Heather also served on the Bar’s Judicial Election Evaluation Committee (JEEC), convened in election years to review the qualifications of candidates in contested judicial elections and provide evaluations in order to help guide all voters. “It’s a service for the public that benefits everyone, as most voters do not have any background on judicial candidates. It also gives the Bar an even stronger voice in our community,” Heather said. “It's our hope that the community sees the SDCBA as ‘the go-to place’ for legal information, as well as guidance and leadership on important issues.” She said her colleagues at Allen Matkins have been “super supportive” of her role with the Bar Association, although “they still think I’m kind of crazy.” Tenacious is the word he’d use, said Jeff Chine, a partner in Allen Matkins’ San Diego office. He said he’s amazed at Heather’s
ability to balance all her activities. “She goes to all the soccer games and she goes to all of the school events and she’s a terrific mom while at the same time, being a very busy lawyer,” Chine said. “That’s not an easy thing to do.” Heather said she has become quite “a soccer mom” with her oldest son, eightyear-old Matthew. With husband, Jason, “Quite a lot of our weekends and weekdays after school are consumed by soccer at the moment.” Five-year-old Samuel has yet to develop an interest in organized sports, although Heather said both boys definitely take after Jason, a scientist at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Jason has played sports throughout his life. “I’m not the least bit athletic,” Heather said. “I was an extremely clumsy child so I stuck to student council and signed up for the more – indoor type events.” Heather and her younger brother, Michael Sullivan, grew up in Putnam Valley, N.Y. about 50 miles north of New York City. She went to Catholic elementary school and high school, graduating third in her class at John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in 1994, where she was a member of the National Honor Society and class president. She did not seriously consider becoming a lawyer, although her mother was a court clerk and Heather often spent time watching her mother work in night court. Her father was a boiler inspector for the State of New York who often worked nights and weekends at other jobs to pay their school tuition. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be an archaeologist, but then I found out that meant digging in the dirt,” Heather said. “That wasn’t going to work for me. Everyone always told me to be a lawyer since I talked so much, but I didn't really know any lawyers personally so it wasn't something I thought was going to happen.” She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Albany in New York with a bachelor’s degree in history and had to decide what to do next. “I could wind up either going to grad school for history or I could go to law school and the law school was down the street. It was convenient,” Heather said. While at Albany Law School, Heather worked as an unpaid aide to New York State Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer, eventually assisting
quick Hits Favorite website(s): Lainey Gossip, Tom and Lorenzo, Go Fug Yourself and the New York Times Biggest pet peeve: People who park in front of the one or two diesel pumps and fill up with unleaded gas – when the unleaded only pumps are all free!! Favorite book: Anne of Green Gables Favorite quote: ”Confidence is just entitlement. Work hard, know your stuff, show your stuff and then feel entitled. Because confidence is like respect. You have to earn it.“ - Mindy Kaling (slightly paraphrased for a family friendly magazine) Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere with a beach or pool, a swim up bar and umbrella drinks Favorite restaurant: Bencotto Favorite food: Sushi with someone else doing the ordering Person you would most like to have dinner with: Tina Fey – and I would ask her to invite Amy Poehler, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mindy Kaling and Amy Schumer November/December 2015 SAN DIEGO LAWYER 19