The PABA Board is sad to see Christine go, but is thankful and honored to have had Christine on the board the past several years. Christine was kind enough to sit for our first “member spotlight”…click below and see what she had to say…
Christine J. Gonong, PABA Board Member
Federal Law Clerk
Christine is a law clerk to The Honorable Jacqueline H. Nguyen of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
1. Why did you want to become a lawyer?
I majored in Political Science in UCLA and, as a result, I had the opportunity to take several Constitutional Law classes. My Civil Liberties and Jurisprudence classes, in particular, inspired me to pursue a legal career in order to give back to my community and help in bringing social change.
2. How did you end up clerking for a federal judge?
I externed for an Article III judge during my first summer in law school. I enjoyed that experience and decided I would want to clerk after graduation. I am committed to public service, and I enjoy the intellectual stimulation one gets from working on a wide variety of cases, including Constitutional Law, Employment Discrimination, Criminal Law, and Intellectual Property.
3. What’s the most interesting part of your job?
Drafting opinions or legal memos, conducting legal research on complex issues, and learning new law everyday.
4. Why did you join PABA?
I want to provide mentorship to law student and young lawyers and be of service to the Filipino-American community.
5. What is your favorite memory of PABA in 2011?
That would be the first PABA Happy Hour I organized this past summer, which was held in The Standard in downtown LA. The event was very well attended, and I was very proud to be a part of the Student Relations Committee, which was in charge of the planning.
6. Any advice for newly minted attorneys?
Go, Fight, Win! “The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” That’s my mantra from “The Last Lecture.”
7. Tell us something about you that most people either don’t know or wouldn’t expect.
I love to dance. I particularly enjoy salsa and bachata. I have taken salsa classes, and I won an amateur salsa dancing competition. When time permits, I also take hip-hop classes at local dance studios. I have formed a hiking group, and we meet every month to hike. I also do 5Ks with the same group at least once a month. I love to laugh.
8. How did you get started doing all of that?
I love challenging myself. I like to keep growing spiritually, and whether it is learning a new dance step, climbing a new mountain, or running a new trail, I find pushing myself and going outside my comfort zone a very rewarding endeavor.
