Name and title: David T. Grapilon, Deputy District Attorney
Undergraduate and law school: UCSD and Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Years in practice: 20
Why do you serve?
Where else as a lawyer can you craft a career analyzing the depths of humanity, where no two cases are ever alike, interview thousands of prospective jurors on their most intimate experiences on life, and always get to do the right thing to seek justice irrespective of parties or clients?
What/Who inspires you to serve?
My dad, who immigrated from the Philippines by joining the US Navy as a teenage steward and who started his career shining shoes and housekeeping, who is proud to have served the country that was so good to him and our family.
What advice would you give others to inspire them to serve?
If you truly want to serve, be honest with yourself about your life goals. You cannot do this work expecting fame and fortune. If you are expecting either, public service is not for you.
Please list three noteworthy people (living or dead) you’d want to have dinner with and why.
- Myself, at age 8, to remember what was going on in my head.
- Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa that summitted Mt. Everest carrying Sir Edmund Hillary’s gear, so I can hear the real story of who reached the top first.
- JFK’s head Secret Service Agent.
What is one item on your bucket list?
Finish the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race in under nine hours and earn the cool belt buckle.
What is your favorite quote?
“Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity.”
Favorite place on earth?
Yosemite National Park
Favorite place in San Diego?
Otay Mountain
Cherished advice that you have received from a loved-one, mentor or colleague?
“Eat while you eat, play while you play.” While it sounds better in my Grandfather’s native language, it reminds me to focus on one thing at a time.
If you could magically change one thing about the world, what would it be?
The weekend would start on Friday.
How can others make giving back part of their daily lives?
Use your talents, skills, or good fortune to help in any way you can. Let someone into your lane at rush hour or help a coworker out with a project — there’s always opportunities to help your fellow human.
In what ways does serving the wider community benefit the legal profession?
When a community fails to have its basic needs met, following the law becomes less of a priority. By serving the wider community, our service alleviates some those needs and establishes trust as representatives of law and the “system.” Without this trust, our profession is ineffective.
The SDCBA Law Day theme this year is “Advancing the Rule of Law Now.” What does this theme mean to you in your work and in your daily life?
Whether it’s investigating a peace officer, attorney, or elected official, the guiding principle in our Special Operations Division is the law applies to everyone. We also strive to identify convictions where evidence or the interests of justice demand a second look for whom the law may have changed in their favor.
As a recipient of a 2021 Service Award, who would you like to thank?
Summer Stephan for her leadership and trust; Dave Greenberg for his systems mastery that provides the Court with the critical information necessary to schedule calendars; Fiona Dunleavy, Tracy Prior, Rachel Solov, Dwain Woodley, and Jim Koerber for their constant encouragement and support; Kyle Sutterley, Jeffrey Dort, and Joel Madero; Lilma Doromal, Solomon Bautista, Neal Bunyi; Sam Georges and the DA’s IT staff; My core operations partners Matt Wechter and Cathy McCoy; Michelle Johnson, Amy Tenorio; Jake Pison and his IT staff; Yosh Kakkad with Sheriff’s IT; Stacey Kartchner, Tanya Weston, and Bill Daley. At the end of the day, it’s my beautiful wife Linda that makes it all possible, and the blessing of a happy home with two fantastic kids and a loyal dog that reminds me of what really matters in life.