By Johnny Nitti
Attorney at Law
Maresa Martin Talbert is the recipient of this year’s SDCBA award for Outstanding Service as a New Lawyer and will be recognized for her outstanding service at the May 21 SDCBA Service Awards.
A Navy veteran and self-proclaimed “solopreneur,” Talbert has run her solo practice since soon after earning her law license in December 2017. A graduate of California Western School of Law, Talbert briefly worked in the law school’s Student and Diversity Services department before starting her own law firm, Talbert Law Office, in April 2018. As the firm’s founding attorney, she helps clients with entity formation, governance and compliance issues, and intellectual property protection. Talbert has plans to grow her practice and add more attorneys and paralegals by the end of 2021.
“The most enjoyable part about running my law practice is autonomy in the clients I engage, the matters I take on, the way that I offer services, the location of where I work, and the time of day that I complete it,” she said. “Without that autonomy, I would be unable to devote as much time as I do to service.”
Talbert has always had a passion for law and policy. From age 8, she knew she wanted to be an attorney. Prior to her Navy service, Talbert worked for the Texas state Senate as a senate aide and legislative assistant. Then, as an active-duty Navy surface warfare officer for four years, she served in many roles, including communications and anti-terrorism, and was deployed twice in support of the anti-terrorist Operation Enduring Freedom.
Upon joining the Navy Reserves in 2014, Talbert moved to San Diego and enrolled at California Western. While in law school, she not only participated in multiple campus organizations but also served as a Navy administrative officer in order to provide leadership to more than 200 sailors in San Diego, Port Hueneme, and Pearl Harbor.
Now, in addition to running her solo practice, Talbert continues to serve in the Navy Reserves as the Executive Officer, where she oversees the operation, maintenance, and training for Littoral Command Ships Squadron One, Mine Countermeasure, San Diego. Meanwhile, her husband is an active-duty naval officer in Norfolk, Virginia.
Talbert is vice chair of the SDCBA Intellectual Property Law Section and serves on the board of directors for the National Naval Officers Association, California Western School of Law Alumni Association, and Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association.
She is inspired by her faith and believes that giving back is important. “When you give, it will come back to you, in the same measure that you gave,” she said. “When you give of yourself, it opens the door for others to pour into your life also.”
Talbert is also a strong proponent for social change, exemplified by her recent successful efforts toward addressing police misconduct in the City of San Diego. She serves as co-chair of San Diegans for Justice, a local committee that advanced Measure B on the City ballot last November. Due to the overwhelming 75% voter support for Measure B, there is now an independent Commission on Police Practices to oversee the San Diego Police Department and investigate instances of police misconduct.
Talbert and fellow co-chair Andrea St. Julian continue to advocate for police reform through San Diegans for Justice.
“Together, we both listened to many voices in the community and focused the community’s concerns into changing the review system of police conduct within San Diego,” Talbert said. “The system in the past was a review model that ultimately did not have any power; all they could do was review police misconduct internally.”
The new Commission on Police Practices is designed to have a more diverse composition and act as a true third-party body to ensure there is proper accountability within the Police Department. Since last November, other cities have reached out to Talbert and San Diegans for Justice to help implement a similar system in their cities.
Talbert encourages law students and new lawyers to be flexible and adaptable. She also believes that lawyers can contribute positively to the public perception of the legal profession through quality service, community advocacy, and pro bono work.
“As an attorney, I am an advocate for people, so expanding my relationship within the community only allows for better advocacy and representation, which also reflects favorably on the legal profession as a whole,” she said.