Hometown: Carmichael, California
Undergraduate: Claremont McKenna College
Major: Government and Literature

This hometown family guy developed a passion for the law through journalism, and as a short-lived White House intern, witnessed a fateful day in American history that he’ll not soon forget.

September 11, 2001 is a day every American remembers. For Sacramento native Leo Moniz, it was only his second day as a college intern with the Domestic Policy Council in Washington, D.C. Having clocked exactly one day and one hour when the terrorist attacks began, Leo vividly recalls the evacuation orders, running across Pennsylvania Avenue and seeing the surreal sight of billows of smoke rising above the Pentagon from his second-floor apartment window. Given the circumstances at the time, the internship was cancelled, but the experience is one he will never forget.

Leo’s journey to Pacific McGeorge began after graduating Claremont McKenna College with a government and literature degree in 2003. Sidestepping into journalism, he reported the crime and courts beats at the Barstow Desert Dispatch, where he was introduced to judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys, and one prosecutor in particular, who made a strong impression on him.

“His mission in every case was to seek justice, whether that meant making a lenient plea bargain or seeking a conviction on serious charges. I was impressed by his integrity, and I found the idea of using the law as an instrument for justice very inspiring,” he says.

After a few years as a reporter, Leo returned to Sacramento, earned a teaching credential and taught English at two public high schools. While he loved teaching, the law classroom called to him, and he answered at last. “Having circled around the edges of public policy by working in education and in journalism a few years after college, I finally felt ready to take the plunge directly into law.” Ultimately, Leo hopes to practice in Sacramento – whether it’s criminal prosecution, employment law or civil litigation. He sees a law degree as “an opportunity for service that I hope to put to good use.”

Leo and his wife Nicole married in 2006, and welcomed daughter Charlotte Anne in 2008. While he was initially drawn to Pacific McGeorge’s solid reputation, it was the scheduling flexibility as an evening student that was key for this young family. “Having a family as I enter law school gives me an added sense of responsibility and purpose,” he says. “Plus, when the baby won’t sleep, I’m sure my law textbooks will make wonderful bedtime stories!”