The People in the Room

Taught by the people who practice.

Most classes at CDTA are led by two instructors. They are trial lawyers, prosecutors, public defenders and judges, and they teach in the courtrooms they work in.

John Patrick Dolan, President, CEO & Dean, CDTA College of Law
President, CEO & Dean

John Patrick Dolan

Founder

A California criminal trial lawyer who has been practicing criminal defense for over forty years, and a State Bar Certified Specialist in Criminal Law. He co-founded CDTA to close the gap between what law schools teach and what a courtroom demands.

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Irene Garcia Dolan, Co-Founder & Registrar, CDTA College of Law
Co-Founder & Registrar

Irene Garcia Dolan

Administration

Co-founder of CDTA and the person who runs it day to day: admissions, eligibility, State Bar compliance and certifications. She is also President of LawTalk, MCLE.

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Dean of Students

Sue Steding

Professor of Criminal Law

Thirty-four years in the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and more than a hundred cases tried. She teaches criminal law and looks after the students.

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Hon. John G. Evans, Ret., Dean of Academic Excellence, CDTA College of Law
Dean of Academic Excellence

Hon. John G. Evans, Ret.

Retired Judge, Riverside County Superior Court

A judge of the Riverside County Superior Court from 2008 to 2024, and a civil litigator in private practice for the twenty-nine years before that.

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Andrea Dolan Bouchard, Professor of Real Property Law, CDTA College of Law
Professor of Real Property Law

Andrea Dolan Bouchard

Criminal Defense Attorney

A criminal defense attorney with Dolan Law Offices in Indio since 2012, who graduated first in her class academically from the College of the Desert Public Safety Academy.

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Peter Nolan, Professor of Evidence Law & Trial Advocacy, CDTA College of Law
Professor of Evidence Law & Trial Advocacy

Peter Nolan

Of Counsel, Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney

Nineteen years prosecuting for Riverside County, named Statewide Prosecutor of the Year in 2013, now Of Counsel in civil litigation and municipal law.

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Professor of Criminal Procedure

Charles Roby

Deputy Public Defender, Riverside County

A Deputy Public Defender in Indio since 2013, teaching the procedure he uses in the Larson Justice Center every week.

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Alex Reed, Professor of Contract Law, CDTA College of Law
Professor of Contract Law

Alex Reed

Principal, The Reed Firm

Principal of The Reed Firm in Indio, practicing employment law and criminal defense, and teaching the contract doctrine underneath both.

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Samuel Trussell, Professor of Tort Law & Civil Procedure, CDTA College of Law
Professor of Tort Law & Civil Procedure

Samuel Trussell

Sole Practitioner, Law Offices of Samuel F. Trussell

Practicing personal injury law since 1986, teaching torts and civil procedure from the plaintiff’s side of the room.

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Danielle Dye, Professor of Professional Responsibility & Ethics, CDTA College of Law
Professor of Professional Responsibility & Ethics

Danielle Dye

Co-Founder, Blalock Dye Law, LLP

A CDTA graduate, class of 2017, who came back to teach professional responsibility and ethics.

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Faculty

Hon. Elizabeth Tucker

Judge, Riverside County Superior Court

Twenty-three years as a Riverside County Deputy District Attorney, six as a court commissioner, and elected to the Superior Court bench in 2024.

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Also on the faculty

Jenny Doling
Natalie Keller
Riverside County Superior Court Commissioner
Sheila Williams
Anyse Smith
Isabel Torres
Cindy Myers

Full profiles for these faculty members are being prepared. In the meantime, the Admissions Office can tell you who teaches which subject: (760) 342-0900.

Sit in the Room

Argue in front of a judge.

At CDTA the person hearing your argument has heard thousands of real ones. Ask Admissions about visiting a class.

Apply to CDTA

Or call the Academy, (760) 342-0900

45-290 Fargo Street, Indio, CA 92201

Call (760) 342-0900Apply