Candidate for
Council Member; City of Santa Clara; Seat 3

I am originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota. I moved to Santa Clara in 1992 after meeting my wife Sylvia, who is from San Jose and is a graduate of Santa Clara University. For the last fifteen years, I have maintained my own law practice on Park Avenue in the city of Santa Clara. My practice is dedicated to representing individuals in consumer protection cases. Most of my cases involve the lemon law, car purchases, inaccurate credit reports or fraud. Sylvia and I have four children, all of whom attend Santa Clara public schools.

Before being elected to the City Council in 2004, I was a member of the Santa Clara Housing Rehabilitation Loan Committee. The Committee's main business is to make loans to low and middle income individuals for home repairs. Many of the recipients of these low-interest loans are seniors who are able to remain in their homes because of the repairs. The Committee has assisted over 1,100 homeowners since it began in 1976.

I have been deeply involved in two volunteer organizations. In 1988 I started the Lawyers in the Library Program. That program provides free legal consultations at local libraries. Over the years, hundreds of attorneys have volunteered for the program and thousands have received a consultation.

I have been active in Volunteers in Parole. That program is made up of attorneys who mentor young offenders recently released from incarceration. Our goal is to help these individuals to make more positive choices in their lives, and to reduce crime. I have mentored several individuals over the years. The program is very successful and results in a low recidivism rate