Curriculum Vitae / Resume
Name: John Cotsirilos
Address: 2442 Fourth Avenue, suite 200
San Diego, CA 92101
E-mail: jcotsirilos@aol.com
Telephone: (619) 232-6022 / Fax: (619) 232-6052
Admitted to Practice: California State Bar, June 1976; Northern, Central, and Southern United States District Courts; United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; Supreme Court of the United States
Certification: Certified Specialist in Criminal Law, State of California since 1983 to 2018
Education: BA, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1971
JD, DePaul Law School, Chicago, Illinois, 1975
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish
Listings: Best Lawyers in America since 1993 to present
Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
Super Lawyer, Southern California
Best Lawyers in San Diego
Best Law Firms US News and World Report
Employment: 1976 to 1979: Riverside County Public Defender's Office
1979 to 1981: Defender, Inc. of San Diego, Senior Trial and Training Attorney
1981 to Present: Private practice handling State and Federal cases. Defended numerous capital cases; consultant with Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program 2002 to 2015; Criminal Law consultant for the Mexican Consulate in San Diego
2011 to Present: Adjunct Professor, Death Penalty Seminar, University of San Diego School of Law 1994 to present
Memberships and Professional Affiliations: President, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, 2003, Co-Chair of Death Penalty Committee- 1992-1997
President, San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association, 1994;
President, San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyers Club, 1995;
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
San Diego Trial Lawyers Association, Criminal Law Column Editor, 1989-1991
Awards: Recipient, E. Stanley Conant Award from Defender Programs of San Diego for Protecting the Rights of the Indigent Accused 1988 and 1998.
Recipient, Trial Attorney of the Year, 1998 and 2006, San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association
Best Lawyer's Lawyer of the Year 2014, Criminal Defense Non-white collar, San Diego
California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding and Dedicated Defense Work for the Indigent, 1999.
Clinical Experience: 1973 to 1974 Legal Prisoner Services in Joliet, Illinois
1974 to 1975 Internship with Chicago and San Francisco Federal Defender Programs.
Selected Lectures: 1981: California Continuing Education of the Bar, 6 hour "Search and Seizure Seminar:"; Psychiatric Association, The Academy of San Diego Psychologist and Defender Programs of San Diego, "Law and Mental Health Seminar."
1982: "Impact on Statutory Rules of Evidence of Prop. 8" for the Office of Defender Services of San Diego.
1983: "Evidence Code Section 1102.5" - San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association and San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyers Club.
1984: California Public Defender's Association, "Criminal Law Seminar on Criminal Evidence"; Criminal Defense Bar Association, "Felony Practice: Evidence and Trial Objections", for Federal Defenders Program of San Diego, "Investigation of a Criminal Case"
1985: California Public Defender's Association - "Insanity and Mental Defenses" Psychiatric Evidence Seminar; California Public Defender's Association - "Cross-Examination." University of San Diego Felony Practice Seminar - "Cross Examination."
1987 and 1989: Instructor for CEB Trial Skills Seminars
1987: San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association - "Voir Dire in Violent Offenses", California Public Defender's Association "Evidentiary Problems."
1988: "Handling a Capital Case" for the Foothil Bar Association.
1989: "Bail Review" for the San Diego Public Defender's Office; "Final Argument" for the California Public Defenders Association.
1990: Federal Defender Program of San Diego, Inc. - "Closing Argument"
1991: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar; Trial Tactics for the San Diego Public Defender's Office; Selected Motions in
Death Penalty Cases, for San Diego Public Defender's Office.
1992: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar: CACJ prop. 115 Update: Discovery; "Preparing Experts" for San Diego Public Defender's Office.
1993: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty College - Instructor. CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar.
1994: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty College-Instructor. CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar.
1995: CACJ - Post Prop 115 Discovery. CEB-Selected Issues in Criminal Trial Practice.
1996 to Present: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar -Instructor.
2006: San Diego Psych-Law Society.
2007: California Public Def Association - Mental Defenses at Trial
2007: University of San Diego School of Law Community Defender Program-Informants.
2008: National Consortium of Capital Defense Training -San Bernardino.
2009: California Public Defenders Association - Jury Selection.
2009: University of San Diego School of Law Community Defender Program - Cross of Informants
2010: California Public Defenders Association - Fighting the NGI Case.
2010: University of San Diego School of Law Community Defenders Program-Motions for New Trial.
2011: University of San Diego School of Law Community Defenders Program-Incompetence, Insanity, Mental Retardation.
2011: California Public Defenders Association - Cross Examining the "Snitch"
2014: University of San Diego School of Law and Community Defenders Program - Insanity Defense.
2014: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar – Competency, Sanity, and The Medicated Client.
2015: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar – Witness Interviews, Preparation of Reports and Discovery.
2016: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar – Co-defendant cases; Insanity Defense.
2016: Naval Justice School – Closing argument.
2017: National Association of Legal Investigators -Representing Mexican Nationals.
2017: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar – Negotiation Strategies; Competency.
2020: University of San Diego School of Law Community Defenders Program – Challenging Clients.
2020: California Public Defenders Association: Working with difficult clients.
2020: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar-Insanity Defense, Challenging Clients
Selected Publications: July 1986: The Champion - "A Change of Venue Roadmap" - coauthored with John T. Philipsborn.
September 1988: CACJ Forum - "Mental Defenses" - co-authored with John T. Philipsborn.
July 1991: CACJ Forum - "Should Executions Be Televised?" - co-authored with Jack Early.
CACJ Forum "Evidence of Lingering Doubt During the Penalty Phase of a Capital Case"co-authored with Elizabeth Missakian.
November 1991: CACJ Forum - "Victim Impact Evidence" -co-authored with Elizabeth Missakian.
November 1996: Criminal Defense Practice Reporter - "Peremptory Challenges:Perhaps We Should Listen to Thurgood Marshall"
November 1997: CDP Reporter - "Addressing Victim Impact Evidence in 1997"
November 1999: CDP Reporter - "A view of the Scottsboro Case, and the Promise of Gregg v. Georgia from 1999."
Name: John Cotsirilos
Address: 2442 Fourth Avenue, suite 200
San Diego, CA 92101
E-mail: jcotsirilos@aol.com
Telephone: (619) 232-6022 / Fax: (619) 232-6052
Admitted to Practice: California State Bar, June 1976; Northern, Central, and Southern United States District Courts; United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; Supreme Court of the United States
Certification: Certified Specialist in Criminal Law, State of California since 1983 to 2018
Education: BA, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1971
JD, DePaul Law School, Chicago, Illinois, 1975
Languages Spoken: English and Spanish
Listings: Best Lawyers in America since 1993 to present
Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
Super Lawyer, Southern California
Best Lawyers in San Diego
Best Law Firms US News and World Report
Employment: 1976 to 1979: Riverside County Public Defender's Office
1979 to 1981: Defender, Inc. of San Diego, Senior Trial and Training Attorney
1981 to Present: Private practice handling State and Federal cases. Defended numerous capital cases; consultant with Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program 2002 to 2015; Criminal Law consultant for the Mexican Consulate in San Diego
2011 to Present: Adjunct Professor, Death Penalty Seminar, University of San Diego School of Law 1994 to present
Memberships and Professional Affiliations: President, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, 2003, Co-Chair of Death Penalty Committee- 1992-1997
President, San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association, 1994;
President, San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyers Club, 1995;
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
San Diego Trial Lawyers Association, Criminal Law Column Editor, 1989-1991
Awards: Recipient, E. Stanley Conant Award from Defender Programs of San Diego for Protecting the Rights of the Indigent Accused 1988 and 1998.
Recipient, Trial Attorney of the Year, 1998 and 2006, San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association
Best Lawyer's Lawyer of the Year 2014, Criminal Defense Non-white collar, San Diego
California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding and Dedicated Defense Work for the Indigent, 1999.
Clinical Experience: 1973 to 1974 Legal Prisoner Services in Joliet, Illinois
1974 to 1975 Internship with Chicago and San Francisco Federal Defender Programs.
Selected Lectures: 1981: California Continuing Education of the Bar, 6 hour "Search and Seizure Seminar:"; Psychiatric Association, The Academy of San Diego Psychologist and Defender Programs of San Diego, "Law and Mental Health Seminar."
1982: "Impact on Statutory Rules of Evidence of Prop. 8" for the Office of Defender Services of San Diego.
1983: "Evidence Code Section 1102.5" - San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association and San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyers Club.
1984: California Public Defender's Association, "Criminal Law Seminar on Criminal Evidence"; Criminal Defense Bar Association, "Felony Practice: Evidence and Trial Objections", for Federal Defenders Program of San Diego, "Investigation of a Criminal Case"
1985: California Public Defender's Association - "Insanity and Mental Defenses" Psychiatric Evidence Seminar; California Public Defender's Association - "Cross-Examination." University of San Diego Felony Practice Seminar - "Cross Examination."
1987 and 1989: Instructor for CEB Trial Skills Seminars
1987: San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association - "Voir Dire in Violent Offenses", California Public Defender's Association "Evidentiary Problems."
1988: "Handling a Capital Case" for the Foothil Bar Association.
1989: "Bail Review" for the San Diego Public Defender's Office; "Final Argument" for the California Public Defenders Association.
1990: Federal Defender Program of San Diego, Inc. - "Closing Argument"
1991: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar; Trial Tactics for the San Diego Public Defender's Office; Selected Motions in
Death Penalty Cases, for San Diego Public Defender's Office.
1992: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar: CACJ prop. 115 Update: Discovery; "Preparing Experts" for San Diego Public Defender's Office.
1993: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty College - Instructor. CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar.
1994: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty College-Instructor. CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar.
1995: CACJ - Post Prop 115 Discovery. CEB-Selected Issues in Criminal Trial Practice.
1996 to Present: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar -Instructor.
2006: San Diego Psych-Law Society.
2007: California Public Def Association - Mental Defenses at Trial
2007: University of San Diego School of Law Community Defender Program-Informants.
2008: National Consortium of Capital Defense Training -San Bernardino.
2009: California Public Defenders Association - Jury Selection.
2009: University of San Diego School of Law Community Defender Program - Cross of Informants
2010: California Public Defenders Association - Fighting the NGI Case.
2010: University of San Diego School of Law Community Defenders Program-Motions for New Trial.
2011: University of San Diego School of Law Community Defenders Program-Incompetence, Insanity, Mental Retardation.
2011: California Public Defenders Association - Cross Examining the "Snitch"
2014: University of San Diego School of Law and Community Defenders Program - Insanity Defense.
2014: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar – Competency, Sanity, and The Medicated Client.
2015: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar – Witness Interviews, Preparation of Reports and Discovery.
2016: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar – Co-defendant cases; Insanity Defense.
2016: Naval Justice School – Closing argument.
2017: National Association of Legal Investigators -Representing Mexican Nationals.
2017: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar – Negotiation Strategies; Competency.
2020: University of San Diego School of Law Community Defenders Program – Challenging Clients.
2020: California Public Defenders Association: Working with difficult clients.
2020: CACJ/CPDA Death Penalty Seminar-Insanity Defense, Challenging Clients
Selected Publications: July 1986: The Champion - "A Change of Venue Roadmap" - coauthored with John T. Philipsborn.
September 1988: CACJ Forum - "Mental Defenses" - co-authored with John T. Philipsborn.
July 1991: CACJ Forum - "Should Executions Be Televised?" - co-authored with Jack Early.
CACJ Forum "Evidence of Lingering Doubt During the Penalty Phase of a Capital Case"co-authored with Elizabeth Missakian.
November 1991: CACJ Forum - "Victim Impact Evidence" -co-authored with Elizabeth Missakian.
November 1996: Criminal Defense Practice Reporter - "Peremptory Challenges:Perhaps We Should Listen to Thurgood Marshall"
November 1997: CDP Reporter - "Addressing Victim Impact Evidence in 1997"
November 1999: CDP Reporter - "A view of the Scottsboro Case, and the Promise of Gregg v. Georgia from 1999."