Biography
I have been practicing in the field of disability access litigation for five years. I graduated from U.C. Berkeley with Distinction in 1997, with a degree in English. I then attended U.C. Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), where I was president of the Boalt Hall Women’s Association, 1999-2000, and won a moot court award for best brief. I graduated from Boalt Hall in May of 2001 in the top 15% of my class and was admitted to the California bar in 2001.
I was formerly the staff attorney for the Deaf Women’s Legal Project at the Law Center for Families in Oakland, a nonprofit agency serving low-income bay area residents, in a joint venture with Deaf Women Against Violence, a Hayward nonprofit agency serving Deaf victims of domestic violence. In this position, I worked exclusively with Deaf clients and gained experience in civil rights matters, and in advocating for victims of domestic violence. I also gained an appreciation for Deaf culture and the Deaf community and some proficiency with American Sign Language.
Following my experience with the Deaf Women’s Legal Project, I wanted to broaden my experience and perspective in working with the disability community. I took a position as an attorney at The Law Offices of Paul L. Rein. The Rein Law Office handles disability access litigation exclusively, and has been doing so for over twenty years. Paul Rein is a pioneer in the field of civil rights litigation for persons with disabilities and is responsible for several of California’s seminal cases in the area of disability access. In my time at Paul’s office, I handled dozens of disability access cases from start to finish, from shops and restaurants to college campuses, courthouses, city sidewalks, and every other type of public facility. I have also handled cases involving discriminatory policies and intentional discrimination, such as exclusion of persons with service animals.
I am a member of the Alameda-Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice (formerly American Trial Lawyers Association).
On a personal note, I am married to a wonderful man, Bernard Ostil, who is a fantastic computer guru. In case you’re wondering, our last name is pronounced “aw-STILL” (the emphasis is on the second syllable) and the name is of Filipino origin. We have two cats, Zen and Moonshadow, and live in the East Bay Area. My free time is spent reading, writing, cooking, enjoying the outdoors, and talking with family and friends.