What I Do: Represent California’s largest insurers in administrative matters and long cause complex litigation, including Class Actions in State & Federal Court trial and appellate courts throughout the State.
Hobbies: Travel, outdoors projects, golf.
Biography: Twenty years in private practice before joining State Fund nine years ago, representing California's largest Insurers in complex Civil Litigation. Lead Trial counsel for State Fund handling the most complex and highest exposure matters including Class Actions and litigation throughout the State pending in Appellate, Federal and State Courts.
What I Do: I represent the State of California in post-conviction appeals and habeas corpus writ petitions filed by convicted criminal defendants in the California Court of Appeal, the California Supreme Court, United States District Courts, the Ninth Curcuit Court of Appeal, and the United States Supreme Court.
Hobbies: Travel and running.
Biography: ReceivedBachelor of Science degree from Indiana University-Bloomington in Public Affairs in 1989. In 2001, receivedJuris Doctorate degree from Southwestern School of Law. Joined the Criminal Division: Appeals, Writs & Trials in 2001, representing the State of California in post-conviction appeals and habeas corpus writ petitions filed by convicted criminal defendants in the California Court of Appeal, the California Supreme Court, United States District Courts, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, and the United States Supreme Court.
What I Do: My name is Wade DiCosmo and I am an Administrative Law Judge with the Department of Industrial Relations at the Worker’s Compensation Appeals Board. I am assigned to the San Diego location and I preside over and conduct pre-trial conferences, Trials and render detailed written decisions.
Hobbies: My hobbies include spending time with my family, exercising and reading and watching non-fiction documentaries.
Biography:
I am an attorney in the California Department of Justice, where I have worked for over a decade prosecuting criminal cases at the appellate level. During my time in state service, I joined CASE and later served as a local representative where I gained a deeper understanding of workplace and collective bargaining issues. It has been an honor serving as a CASE Board Member since 2022. I look forward to connecting with CASE members from all departments and agencies and learn about the important role they play in keeping California safe, healthy, and prosperous.
Biography: Graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Accounting from CSULB. Attended Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles part-time in the evening while working full time as a Tax Auditor for the former Board of Equalization. Joined the Criminal Division: Appeals, Writs & Trials, Department of Justice in 1997.
What I Do: Prosecute felony criminal cases in the state appellate courts and handle federal and state habeas corpus proceedings, trial matters in superior courts, and investigations.
Hobbies: Baking and photography
Biography: Amanda Lopez is a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice. She is a member of the Criminal Appeals, Writs, and Trials Section. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, she was a litigator in private practice.
Classification: Deputy Labor Commissioner I Department: Department of Industrial Relations
Section: Division of Labor Standards Enforcement
Work City: Los Angeles
Time in Unit: 15
What I Do: I work in the Retaliation Case Investigation Unit as an investigator determining the validity of employee whistleblower complaints against employers.
Hobbies: I like reaching genius status when playing the New York Times Spelling Bee.
Biography: I largely grew up in Azusa, California attending from elementary school thru high school. Azusa is a Los Angeles suburb. I have B.A. In psychology from Cal State at Los Angeles. I am a rare traveler who has seen the Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal in a 24 hour period.
Classification: Attorney III Department: Department of Health Care Services Section: Special Projects Work City: Sacramento
Time in Unit: 8 years in August 2025
What I Do: As a member of the Special Projects Unit I provide legal support to the State Medicaid Director and lead agency-wide efforts to address issues emerging from Transition 2025.
Hobbies: Biking with my toddler around town in our new cargo e-bike. Playing in the mountains and alpine lakes. Two loaves into becoming a sourdough person. Standing up for the little guy, no matter how unpopular. Biography: I’m an atypical state attorney in that I actually have a rather fleshed out LinkedIn. Go take a look if you’re interested in learning about my journey so far! It’s involved living and studying abroad in Australia and Armenia, completing a master's degree in public health at UNC Chapel Hill, and completing a JD with a concentration in health law at Boston University, before starting on that administrative litigation team at the Department of Health Care Services up here in Sacramento. My amazing colleagues turned close friends have helped make Sacramento feel like home for this LA girl, and are part of the reason I volunteer my time on this board. Please don’t be shy about reaching out if you have a desire to become more involved with the union - thank you for your membership!
What I Do: I preside over conferences and trials on a variety of workers’ compensation issues as well as rule on various petitions and motions filed by attorney and non-attorney litigants.
Hobbies: Below amateur level softball player, movie enthusiast, Lego builder, video game connoisseur, and theme park aficionado.
Biography: I am born and raised in California and love everything that California offers. Despite my inability to make it out of Contestants Row on a 1999 episode of the Price is Right, I graduated the University of California Los Angeles in three years before going to Southwestern University School of Law where I became one of the youngest to pass the State Bar in 2003. Although my dream was to go into Criminal Law, I ultimately found my way to Workers' Compensation through my job at the State Compensation Insurance Fund in 2006. In 2010, I got married and life quickly took off its training wheels as I had my first child in 2011, had a second child in 2013 and my third child in 2016. Throughout all this, I became a Workers’ Compensation Judge at the Long Beach Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board in 2012 and have enjoyed the job ever since.
What I Do: Representing State Compensation Insurance Fund in litigating complex matters in State and Federal Courts, as well as before administrative bodies.
Hobbies: Event planning, arts, crafts, and reading.
Biography: Attorney IV at State Compensation Insurance Fund. As counsel in the Corporate Legal Department, dealing with complex and challenging litigation. In addition, provide advice and counsel for the State Fund Medical Provider Network. Prior to my time in Corporate Legal, worked in State Fund’s Claims Legal Department.
Classification: Deputy Attorney General IV Department: Department of Justice Section: Criminal Division: Appeals, Writs & Trials Work City: Los Angeles Time in Unit: 17 What Do I Do: Prosecute felony criminal cases in the state appellate courts and handle federal and state habeas corpus proceedings, trial matters in superior courts, and investigations. Hobbies: Travel, sports, gardening. Biography: After graduating law school, I started my legal career at the California Department of Justice where I have worked for over a decade primarily prosecuting criminal cases at the appellate level. As a local representative for CASE for over seven years, I have interacted with members and listened to their needs with regard to workplace and collective bargaining issues. I look forward to vigorously advocate on behalf of CASE members.
What I Do: California is the largest insurance market in the country. As an insurance regulator, I review corporate transactions of insurance companies in the Corporate Affairs Bureau.
Hobbies: Reading, meditating, running, and hiking.
Biography: I grew up in Sacramento, and currently live in San Francisco. I have been an attorney for ten years, and have been with the Dept. of Insurance (CDI) for 13 years. I'm currently an Attorney IV in the Corporate Affairs Bureau, and I have been a Local Rep at CDI for the last five years. I have always enjoyed volunteering my time towards community issues I care about, and after my election to the CASE board I have focused my volunteering efforts entirely on our union. I enjoy volunteering my time toward making our union the best it can be, as well as working as a Local Rep on behalf of my CDI colleagues.
Department: Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Section: Corporate Legal
Work City: Glendale
Time in Unit: 8
What I Do: I represent California’s largest insurer in administrative matters and long cause complex litigation, including Class Actions, in State & Federal trial and appellate courts throughout the State.
Hobbies: Reading, Chess, and chasing my 5 kids from activity to activity.
Biography: I hold a Political Science Degree from USC and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. I am a litigator with over 13 years of experience. I've worked for a multinational law firm, as a solo practitioner representing small businesses, and for the State of California.
What I Do: I act in a hybrid in-house counsel/Attorney General role for State Fund, a quasi-state agency. On the litigation side, I litigate high exposure complex insurance disputes (e.g. civil RICO, insurance bad faith, contribution actions, premium disputes) and related civil appeals and writs. As an in-house counsel, I monitor outside counsel, perform coverage analysis, and provide general advice and counsel to State Fund's stakeholders, business units, and executive board.
Hobbies: Volunteering, serving on the APABA Board, exercise, traveling, and exploring new restaurants.
Biography: Attorney IV in the Corporate Legal Department for California's State Compensation Insurance Fund. Practice entails advice and counsel to internal partners and executives, litigating State Fund's complex civil RICO, class action, and insurance bad faith disputes in state and federal court, civil appeals, and administrative writs. Previously worked in private practice representing a Fortune 100 insurance carrier in Cumis counsel disputes, Buss and Crawford recovery cases, insurance bad faith, and other additional insured issues. Immediate Past-President for the Asian Pacific American Bar Association in Los Angeles.
What I Do: The Correctional Writs & Appeals section represents the Governor, Board of Parole Hearings, and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in state and federal habeas corpus and mandate proceedings, third-party discovery, and related appeals. CWA defends policies of the state prison system and litigates constitutional challenges to parole denials, conditions of confinement and parole conditions, prison discipline, religion, and access to the courts. We regularly appear in the superior and appellate courts, including the California Supreme Court, the United States District Courts and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Hobbies: Traveling domestically and internationally.
Biography: I hold a Legal Studies degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a JD from the USC - Gould School of Law. I am a litigator with over 20 years of experience. I began my career as a Staff Attorney for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Florida, where I handled criminal postconviction challenges. In 2007, I joined the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. I work with a team of dedicated attorneys in the Correctional Writs and Appeals section representing state agencies and executive officials.
