Julie Schumer

Personal Statement:

  • For over 30 years, I have dedicated my career to defending those already convicted of a crime, knowing that I was the last hope for a client=s freedom or life time in prison. To fulfil this awesome responsibility, I have put all of my energies into convincing the appellate courts to overturn my clients= convictions. I know what it takes to maximize your chances of prevailing on appeal or in a writ proceeding. The most satisfying and exciting moments of my many years in practice have been the times I have been able to meet my newly freed client at the prison gate, celebrate his freedom and return him to his life and family.

Certification/Specialties:

  • Appellate Law, State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, 1996

Bar Admissions:

  • California, 1978
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Education:

  • Loyola-Marymount Law School 1978, Juris Doctorate
  • UCLA Los Angeles CA 1975, B.A. English, Honors: Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Published Works:

  • A Procedural Roadmap to Civil & Criminal Appeals (Co-Author), Contra Costa Lawyer, 1996
  • Appellate Procedure Simplified, Contra Costa Lawyer, 1993

Representative Cases:

Continuing Education Classes and Seminars Taught:

  • Appellate Procedure, Contra Costa Bar Association, 2002
  • Appellate Procedure, Contra Costa Bar Association, 1996
  • Appellate Procedure, Contra Costa Bar Association, 1995

Professional Associations and Memberships:

  • Appellate Law Advisory Commission, 1998 - 2000 Co-Chair
  • CACJ Prisons/Post-Conviction Law Committee, 1994 - 1996 Co-Chair
  • Appellate Section of Contra Costa County Bar Association, 1991 - 1996
    President and Secretary as well as co-founder of the section

Employment Positions:

  • Innocence Legal Team, 2009 to Present
  • Solo practitioner handling crime appeals exclusively with emphasis in sex crimes, 1982-2009
  • Mink, Alpert & Barr, Associate Attorney, 1978-1982