Cheryl Deptowicz-Diaz

Cheryl Deptowicz-Diaz is the daughter of Filipino immigrants, married to a Mexican immigrant, mother to a Mexican Filipino son, and an immigrant herself, having arrived in Southern California, United States at the age of 8 in 1982.

Cheryl is proud to connect her Filipino roots to those roots established in Los Angeles, California.  She attended Virgil Junior High and graduated from Belmont High School in 1991.  With school records filled with academic honors, leadership positions in student council and school clubs, and positions of captain for both the varsity volleyball and varsity swim team, Cheryl was accepted to and attended the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB).  She worked full-time during college, participated in a study abroad program in Argentina and Chile, and was active in campus organizing.

In 1996, she graduated from UCSB with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian American Studies.  That same year, Cheryl received the NAACP Excellence Award, Distinguished Service Award, and the Asian American Studies Highest GPA Award.  After college, Cheryl worked as a secretary until multiple and simultaneous personal hardships pushed her to apply to law school.

Cheryl attended the evening program at Southwestern University School of Law while continuing to work during the day as a secretary, accounting clerk, law clerk, and elementary school teacher’s aide.  Her law school highlights include receiving the Writing Achievement Award for the Moot Court Honors Program and serving as an extern clerk for both the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office and the Alliance for Children’s Rights.  She earned her Juris Doctor from Southwestern in 2006.

She was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2007 after passing the State Bar Examination on her first attempt.  She is admitted in all California state courts as well as the Central District and Southern California District of the U.S. District Courts.

She recharges her energy supply by spending time with her husband Jorge, son Diego, and furpup Maxim.  They love to read and write together, mimic mindless vegetables in front of the TV, and create memories through play, travel, and adventure.  She clears her mind and works out Life’s stresses by doing yoga, journaling, meditation, dancing, and boxing.  She connects with her community by writing, performing poetry, and attending community events on various topics aimed at bridging systemic divisions of race, sex, gender, and class.