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Objective

Professional, Educational, and Social Media Networking

Interest

Hobbies

tennis, advocacy training

Charitable ActivitiesSouthern Center for Human Rights donor

MEMBERSHIPSLawyers (NACDL), Chair of Forensic Seminar, Founding Board Member and Treasurer of Reducing Rates (of Alcohol, Tobacco & Drugs for Youth) Coalition, Solano County, Member, City of Fairfield, CA, A.T.O.D. (Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs)City Team, Member, Board of Governors (2002-2007), California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ), Chair of Seminars Committee

About Jeffrey Thoma

An Attorney at his eponymous law firm, Jeffrey Thoma practices at the trial and appellate levels, while also serving as a consultant on issues involving the use of DNA within the justice system. Possessing a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law and more than 30 years of experience, Jeffrey Thoma has spent much of his career functioning as a public defender throughout California.Most recently, Mr. Thoma served as Solano County Public Defender from 2004 to 2010. In this role he also held responsibility as Director of the Department of the Public Defender, which involved supervising 54 attorney offices and 86 staff members, as well as overseeing planning, budgeting, and training for all personnel. Mr. Thoma held a similar position for Mendocino County from 1997 to 2004, during which time he also managed caseload assignments and coordinated training seminars for attorneys. Prior to these posts, he practiced for eight years as a Deputy Public Defender for San Diego and Orange counties, as well as Alternate Public Defender for Santa Cruz County, among many other positions.Jeffrey Thoma has also maintained affiliation with a number of organizations relevant to his field, including the California Public Defenders Association, for which he acted as a member of the Board of Directors and Second Vice President from 1996 to 2002. While a member, he served as Coordinator of the association’s Sentencing Seminar and the Scientific Evidence Seminar, and he spoke at a variety of other events during his six-year affiliation. Furthermore, he served for five years as Contributing Editor for California Defender Magazine and for seven years as Editor of Law Notes magazine and for the California Public Defenders Association. Jeffrey Thoma has spoken at a number of events, including the Annual Hawaii Public Defender Training program in Honolulu and the Ninth Annual National Drug Court Conference.

Work experience

Jan 2010Present

Attorney

Jeffrey E. Thoma, Attorney At Law

At present, Jeffrey Thoma practices criminal defense at both the trial and appellate levels and serves as a consultant on forensic science issues, particularly those involving DNA evidence. From 2004 to 2010, he served as the Public Defender for Solano County, where he oversaw more than 50 lawyers and a total staff of 86 professionals. His jurisdiction also encompassed a Conflict Defender office. Beyond training employees, Jeffrey Thoma developed and supervised the overall budget. Before joining the Solano County Department of the Public Defender, Jeffrey Thoma fulfilled similar responsibilities in Ukiah, California, where he directed the Department of the Public Defender for Mendocino County from 1997 to 2004. In addition to handling budgetary and personnel concerns, he managed the caseload by distributing felony cases between himself and his fellow attorneys. In addition, Mr. Thoma launched an Alternate Defender office and organized 20 day-long training workshops to help lawyers and other employees better fulfill the duties of their positions. In other legal work, Jeffrey Thoma currently lends his insights to the National Community Sentencing Association Board of Directors, which he has led as President since 2008. He also acts as a Faculty Member of the National Drug Court Institute. Since 2009, he has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He has served as Co-Chair of NACDL's Death Penalty Committee for the past two years and has chaired the Forensic Science Seminar since 2007. Mr. Thoma has appeared before the United States, California, and Nevada Supreme Courts and has specialized in capital litigation and DNA cases for the past twenty years. From 1996 to 2001, he served as a commissioner on the United States Department of Justice's Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence, and he has lectured and been published on this subject and others nationwide. He is also a faculty member at the Death Penalty College at Santa Clara University School of Law and for the State of Hawaii Annual Public Defender Conference. Jeffrey Thoma holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a JD from the University of San Diego School of Law. When not working, he enjoys playing tennis, and he is a donor to the Southern Center for Human Rights.

Aug 2010Present

Adjunct Professor Trial Advocacy

University of California- Davis School of Law

Education

Aug 1977May 1981

JD

University of San Diego School of Law

Skills

Trial
Litigation
Professor

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