Page 48 - FINAL San Diego Woman interactive

Women of Distinction

work out. But, that's the truth.” them very busy. I started with I asked Whitney where she
Whitney decided to jump Sheppard as a first year in 2011 saw herself career wise. “I am
right into the legal field by in- after passing the bar and am extremely happy at Sheppard
terning at the State of California now a partner.” Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP.
Attorney General’s Office in In her position, she rep- This is where I want to spend
their death penalty appeals di- resents developers all through- my entire career. They will have
vision. She quickly realized that out the Southern California to pull me out of there kicking
although she loved studying region. “We have a lot of mixed- and screaming. I love the firm.
law, being a prosecutor might use projects in downtown San I love their culture. I love the
not be in the cards for her. “At Diego and downtown Los work that they do. They've got
the time there was a retrial of an Angeles that are incorporating complex and interesting deals.
accused murderer in San Diego. commercial, retail, office, and I never have a boring day. It's
The victim was a nine-year- living all in one. We also repre- never monotonous. They really
old girl. At the time my sister sent several industrial logistic appreciate and value their em-
was relatively young, and just center clients in the Inland Em- ployees. I can actually work 10-
coming home to the idea that pire, solar projects in Imperial 12-hour days with my co-work-
that could have been her was County, and wind generation ers and still want to go grab a
too upsetting for me. The way energy facilities up in North- bite or a glass of wine with these
in which that affected me made ern California. it keeps my job same people. I consider them
me realize that I didn't have the exciting being able to work in so not just co-workers but family.
Although Whitney didn’t
ability to detach my work from many different areas.” pursue her career as a vet-
my personal life. I felt strongly
Whitney is proud of the
Whitney about being a lawyer, I just impact she has through her erinarian, she is still very
needed to find the area of law
involved with animals. “I am
position. “California, in my
that would be my life’s work.” estimation, is an absolutely very involved in animal rescue
Hodges graduate degree at USC, so she beautiful state. We have every- and animal advocacy. I am the
Whitney did her under-
General Counsel for the San
thing. We have mountains. We
continued on and obtained have the desert. We have the Diego Humane Society, which
KEEPING her law degree at USC Gould coast. It's just beautiful. What I my firm was generous enough
love about my job is that I am in to bring in on a Pro Bono basis.
School of Law. During her time
CALIFORNIA in law school, still searching an area of law that helps protect My boyfriend, Chris, and I fos-
BEAUTIFUL for the area of law in which she the natural beauty of California, ter kittens. So, we have had a re-
would practice, she sat in on a
volving door of kittens for about
while making certain that the
couple of real estate classes and ability exists to retain business- four years now. And we've had
realized that this was what she es, be sustainable, and continue about 65 come through that
wanted to do. “I wanted to focus to have a strong economy. So, we've raised from birth to about
When Whitney Hodges my energy in this vast field, but while I tend towards being nine weeks of age.”
was a child, people asked her most particularly in land use more on the environmental Whitney loves being
what she wanted to be when she and environmental law. I also side, it's just not feasible to involved and helping animals.
grew up. There was no hesita- knew that I wanted to stay in San prevent any sort of development San Diego Humane Society has
tion she would quickly respond. Diego and thankfully San Diego within California. Attempting taken over the animal services
“I want to be a veterinarian.” and California have a plethora of to only protect the environment for the incorporated cities in
This would soon change. “I environmental laws and different comes at the cost of being able San Diego County, doubling
apprenticed with a veterinarian land use mechanisms that can to attract and retain talent for their capacity in the past 18
for about two years, and after keep any attorney busy.” some of the bigger industries months. Whitney was instru-
about the fifth time passing out Even though Whitney was we have out here. My goal was mental in getting the positive
during a blood draw for an ani- graduating during the recession, to enter an area of law that votes from each town’s City
mal, I realized that this was not she was able to find a position encompasses all of these things Counsel to assure the continued
the right career path for me.” that was a perfect fit for what while promoting sustainable care and safety of the animals in
Searching for a new di- she wanted to accomplish. and smart development. You the various facilities.
rection wasn’t that difficult for “Fortunately, I was able to get represent developers that are In addition to the cats they
Whitney. “I had watched far too a position at the law firm that actually very intent on mitigat- foster, Whitney has a dog and
much Law and Order episodes I'm at now, Sheppard Mullin ing any impacts they have, and two cats of their own. “We ac-
and I hate to admit that this Richter & Hampton LLP, in actually they are doing what tually use our animals to teach
likely played a part in why I their land use division. Even they can to help further sustain, the fostered kittens boundaries,
chose law school after realizing during the recession, they had a protect, and conserve the natu- and also make them what we
being a veterinarian wouldn't lot of ongoing projects that kept ral environment around us.” call ‘Bulletproof,’ So, regardless

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