Tips from the Bar: Katharine Tremblay

A firm believer in the saying “everything happens for a reason,” Katharine Tremblay recently joined the California Department of Justice as a Deputy Attorney General in the Employment and Administrative Mandate section of the Attorney General’s Office. Prior to heeding the call to public service, Tremblay enjoyed a successful and over decade-long career in private practice, where she focused mainly on employment, business, and contract law.

Life Before the Law

Tremblay, who was born and raised in San Diego, is a second-generation attorney. However, she initially did not have her sights set on following in her family’s footsteps. As an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University, Tremblay studied theater and trained at the British American Drama Academy at its Summer in Oxford Program. Following her college graduation, she had a short stint as an amateur actor where she performed at local community theaters in San Diego. In addition, Tremblay was a high school English teacher for several years.

It was while Tremblay was teaching that she first developed a desire to go to law school. “I was teaching at a high school where many of my students were from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and I found myself helping some of them with legal issues,” Tremblay said. “I realized that I enjoyed legal research and helping my students find answers.”

When Tremblay told her father — who owned his own law practice and was a former Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney — about her desire to go to law school, he warned her of the difficult road that would lie ahead. However, having grown up surrounded by successful and committed attorneys, Tremblay was well-aware and ready to take on the challenge for herself.

Journey into Practice

When she first started as a student at the University of San Diego School of Law, Tremblay thought she wanted to be an education attorney. However, as her law school career progressed, she found herself interested in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. As an intern, Tremblay was able to work on the Anna Nicole Smith preliminary hearing and the investigation of Michael Jackson, where she assisted in preparing evidence for the Special Trials Unit. 

Although she thoroughly enjoyed her internship, at the time she graduated from law school, there was a hiring freeze. This led Tremblay to start working at her father’s law firm, where she stayed for over ten years. During this time, Tremblay became well-versed in employment law litigation. “I really love the big puzzle that comes with being a trial attorney and that is a reason I have always gravitated toward litigation,” she said.

When it came time for Tremblay’s father to retire recently, Tremblay was left at crossroads. “I had to look at whether I wanted to run a law firm, and running a firm is very different than being a lawyer,” she said. “I still wanted to be practicing law and doing trials.”

During her job hunt, Tremblay contemplated whether she wanted to remain in private practice or transition to the public sector. It was when she came upon an old letter of recommendation that was written for her by William Hodgman — who served as one of the prosecutors during the O.J. Simpson murder trial — that Tremblay was reminded of how much she enjoyed public service. “I had a long commute to the office at that time, but it did not bother me at all,” she said. “I just loved going to that job every day.”

Now settled in at the California Attorney General’s Office, Tremblay is happy to once again be a public servant. “You are called to do such great work, and the AG’s office really allows you to hone your craft,” she said. “There are people with so much experience here, and every person I have come in contact with is a team player and there to assist so that we can do the best we possibly can.”

In addition to her work as a Deputy Attorney General, Tremblay also continues to help students through her position as a teacher with USD’s paralegal program.

Advice for New Lawyers

To young attorneys or law students interested in a career in public service, Tremblay notes that “you must hold yourself to the highest ethical standard at all times, even the moment you apply to law school.”

Tremblay remembers receiving keen advice from one of her cousins who had gone to law school on the East Coast before she started her own law career. “He told me to go to law school where you want to practice,” she said. “Although I did not understand it at the time, it makes sense because you start creating relationships in law school that are invaluable as you progress as a lawyer.”

In addition, Tremblay recommends that law students take a practical class in law school, where they can learn trial practice and other skills such as writing a complaint or writing a response to an interrogatory.

Tremblay, who was recently elected to the North County Bar Association’s Board of Directors, also encourages new lawyers to get involved earlier and more often in both legal organizations and the community at-large. “Advice to my younger self would be to get involved in things you are passionate about,” she said. “You do not have to spread yourself too thin, but it is helpful to find a group you click with and to just get involved in any way possible.”

Finally, Tremblay urges the following to young attorneys: “Remember to be kind to yourself and be kind to others.”