Joseph Esposito

Joseph Esposito is an Associate Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Trial Advocacy Honors Program at Southwestern Law School. He is currently the managing partner at Seki, Nishimura & Watase, a boutique law firm in Los Angeles. Previously, he served as Chief Deputy District Attorney for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, overseeing operations of the largest local prosecutor's office in the U.S. with 1,000 attorneys and 1,100 staff. His career spans 32 years in prosecution, holding key roles in specialized units like the Hardcore Gang Division and Major Narcotics Division.

Education: B.S. in Justice Studies from Arizona State University (1986), J.D. from Southwestern Law School (1989). Member of the California State Bar since 1989.

Teaching contributions include over 25 years as an adjunct faculty member, focusing on Trial Advocacy and Advanced Trial Advocacy. He advised Moot Court and Trial Advocacy teams, winning teaching awards including Southwestern's first Adjunct Excellence in Teaching Award (2000). Recognized for legal excellence with Prosecutor of the Decade (1999), California Prosecutor of the Year (2010), and Loyola Law School's Prosecutor of the Year (2016).

Community leadership includes board membership with the California Homicide Investigators Association since 2014, a historic first for a prosecutor. He remains active in legal education, mentoring trial lawyers through his teaching and speaking engagements.