I was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California. I was raised in a family with a long legal history. My grandfather, Andrew J. Black, was an attorney admitted to the State Bar of California in October 1929 and my father, Retired Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Black (1932-1996), was admitted to the State Bar of California in January 1960. During my childhood, I worked many summers at my father’s private civil litigation law practice, prior to him being appointed to the Superior Court. I graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Thereafter, I graduated from Santa Barbara and Ventura College of Law with a Juris Doctorate degree. My legal education lends me additional legal expertise and knowledge which I put to work in service for my clients every day. I have extensive experience in the legal field, with the vast majority of that experience serving as an exclusively family law paralegal. I specialize in complex and high value divorce litigation.
My father obtained primary custody of me when I was a toddler, and I can’t imagine my childhood without my father being involved in my everyday life. I believe strongly that the law should be gender neutral when it comes to determining custody of children and focus only on which parent can provide the best interests of the child. I am very thankful that back in a time when fathers typically did not obtain primary custody of their children, our family judge decided to rule on which parent could be the best parent to me, which was my father.
I adopted my daughter who continues to reside in San Diego, along with my wonderful granddaughter. There is no joy like being a grandparent and I enjoy my granddaughter every moment I can. I also adopted my son, who is the absolute joy of my life.
In 2019, I moved to Reno with my son and enjoy my son and his numerous activities, our wonderful dogs, cooking, hiking, spending time in Lake Tahoe and surrounding myself with my amazing friends.
