CA State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson to Receive Honorary Degree and Keynote The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law 2018 Commencement April 28

The Honorable Hannah-Beth Jackson, member of the California State Senate representing the 19th Senate District, will receive an honorary Doctor of Law degree and address The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law’s (COL) graduating Class of 2018. The commencement ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 28, 2018, at the Fess Parker Resort in Santa Barbara. Sen. Jackson will be honored for her more than 20 years of public service and leadership in the local community. 

A former prosecutor and practicing attorney, educator, and small business owner, Jackson was elected to the California State Senate in 2012 to represent the 19th Senate District, which includes all of Santa Barbara County and western Ventura County. 

From 1998 to 2004, she represented the 35th Assembly District in the State Assembly, where she worked with Democratic and Republican governors to author more than 60 bills into law. She is currently chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and serves as a member of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water, the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee and the Senate Public Safety Committee. She is immediate past chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus. 

“Senator Jackson is a passionate advocate for the causes in which she believes,” said COL Trustee Mary Jane Miller, a long-standing colleague of Sen. Jackson. “A fearless leader, she has championed equal rights for women, protection of the environment and improving access to early childhood education. Her legislative initiatives have significantly impacted residents throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties as well as the entire State of California. Her ongoing efforts to protect the rights of victims of the recent disasters are an example of her continuing commitment to our community.”
“I am honored to present the keynote address for the Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law graduation ceremony. These graduates have worked hard in a rigorous program to achieve their dreams and they should be proud of what they have accomplished. I am delighted to be sharing this important milestone with them,” said Senator Jackson.  

A graduate of Scripps College in Claremont, California with a joint major in government and sociology, Jackson received her law degree from Boston University Law School before returning to California to work as a deputy district attorney for Santa Barbara County. Eventually, she became the managing partner for the Law Offices of Eskin and Jackson, with offices in Ventura and Santa Barbara.
As commencement speaker, Jackson joins a distinguished list of local public servants invited to address a Colleges of Law graduating class. Recent keynote speakers include the Honorable Lois Capps; Joyce Dudley, current District Attorney of Santa Barbara County; the Honorable Gregory Totten, current District Attorney of Ventura County; Judge Michele Castillo, Ventura County Superior Court; and Justice Steven Z. Perren of the California Court of Appeal.

Jackson will join trustees, faculty, staff, family, and guests gathering on April 28 to celebrate the 34 members of COL’s Class of 2018. Representing the Santa Barbara Campus are graduates Dayton Aldrich, Tobias Bateson, Reanna Carrillo, Taylor Fuller, Hudson Hornick, Amber Leach, Andrew Miller, Joseph Poire, Eva Umejido, and Kevin Waddell. Candidates from the Ventura Campus are Benjamin Baumer, Dylan Beltran, Ambrosio Bigornia Jr., Arezoo Bolouhari, Mallory Clark, Katie Dimas, Anthony DiPaolo, Scott Doyle, Carla di Ruffano, Jason Goldman, Todd Pierce, Victoria Pinkosky, Luis Robert Ruano II, Zhanna Sanamyan, Chyanna Thrush, Kristine Ann Roxas Tijam, and Christina Wilson. Candidates from the Master of Legal Studies program are Andrew Cassens, Lisa Milanes, Marcus NelsonPringle, Gena Rios, Maria Sauceda, Jeanelle Warren, and Shawn Wiggins. 

About The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law:
Established in 1969, The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) was founded to expand opportunities and broaden access to legal education.  COL is dedicated to a student-centered approach that affords students of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to pursue careers in law or legal-related fields. The Colleges’ faculty advances a real-world perspective and practicality on the application of law and includes practicing attorneys, judges, public servants, and leaders in business and non-profit organizations.  An accredited nonprofit institution, COL offers a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) program.  Starting in Fall 2018, COL will deliver a pioneering hybrid J.D. degree, the first of its kind in California. COL is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and the Juris Doctor program is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) of the State Bar of California.  For more information, visit www.collegesoflaw.edu. 

The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law is an affiliate of TCS Education System, a nonprofit system of colleges advancing student success and community impact.