User:Paul Wallin

I have been practicing criminal defense and family law in Southern California for over 30 years. In 1981, I founded Wallin & Klarich, A Law Corporation. Since my days in college, my dream was always to become a lawyer. I wanted to fight for the rights of individuals who found themselves facing legal challenges. Throughout my legal career, I have been willing to take on the most serious of cases including defending persons accused of murder, child molestation, and other violent felonies.

Values
I learned early in my career that you need to do what feels right in your heart regardless of how others may perceive you. For example, I was the lawyer that battled Disneyland over 25 years ago when they refused to allow two gay men to dance in the park. I obtained the first ever verdict against Disneyland, which set the stage for gays and other members of the LGBT community to be treated equally at amusement parks and other venues in Southern California.

When a teacher or any other professional is wrongfully accused of molesting a minor, and he or she proclaims to be innocent, I fight to do all I can to win his or her case. No one deserves to go to jail and see his or her life ruined due to false accusations. I love the feeling I get when I am able to tell the family of someone accused of a crime that their loved one is coming home from jail as a "free person."

Interests
In my personal life, I have always been a very involved parent. When my kids were growing up, I coached over 25 different basketball, baseball, and soccer teams. I also enjoy training and mentoring new lawyers. For example, when my two sons went to law school, I became an active mentor to first year law students at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law. I have written many articles that discuss the challenges young lawyers face. I stress to new lawyers that their first obligation has to be to fight hard to protect the rights of their clients.

Involvement
I have held a variety of notable positions including former Chairman of the Criminal Law Section of the Orange County Bar Association, a past Delegate to the California State Bar Convention, and presiding Fee Arbitrator for the Orange County Bar Association. Additionally, as mentioned, I am an active participant in the Chapman University Fowler School of Law Attorney Mentor Program, and I was fortunate enough to teach a course in Advanced Legal Procedure at the University of California, Irvine.

I hope to use this platform to educate the readers on topics related to my areas of expertise. My goal is to explain the complex nuances of the law in a manner that is accurate and easy to understand.

Areas of Expertise

 * Appeals
 * Child Custody
 * Child Dependency
 * Criminal Law
 * Divorce
 * Federal crime in the United States
 * Sexual Abuse

Education

 * University of California, Los Angeles - Bachelor of Arts
 * Pepperdine University School of Law - Juris Doctor

Admitted to Practice in the Following Courts

 * All California State Courts
 * Supreme Court of California
 * United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
 * United States District Court for the Central District of California
 * United States District Court for the Southern District of California