Fernando Tafoya

Fernando Tafoya is an Adjunct Professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, specializing in Torts. He is a practicing attorney with over 30 years of experience in employment law and workers’ compensation, leading Tafoya & Associates with offices in San Diego, Fresno, and San Francisco. His teaching spans multiple institutions, including New College of the Law, UC Berkeley, and Skyline College, with additional roles counseling students at Alameda and Laney College.

Education:

• JD from Hastings College of the Law
• MA in Political Science from UC Berkeley
• BA (with honors) from University of Texas - Austin

Research interests include law and policy, with writings on California evidence, AIDS in prisons, prisons for profit, and prior restraint legislation. He also engages in human rights advocacy, notably through roles like directing the U.U.S.C. projects on prison construction and media accountability in Central America.

Professional service includes leadership in organizations like the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association (former President, current board member), General Counsel roles at MANA San Diego, MAPA, and HAPA, and co-founding CHIRLA. He has consulted for the Marguerite Casey Foundation, Fresno Human Relations Commission, and former Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante.

Awards:

• December 22 designated as 'Fernando Tafoya Day' in Fresno

Political involvement includes managing the 1990 Orange County Census, directing election campaigns, and coordinating the National Moratorium on Prison Construction. He also holds affiliations with Brandeis University and has worked on media accountability initiatives.