La Verne Celebrates Alumni Superior Court Appointments

The University of La Verne College of Law hosted a special reception June 10 recognizing two alumni who have recently been appointed to Orange and San Bernardino County Superior Courts.

In late 2014 Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the appointment of Gassia Apkarian ’92 as judge in the Orange County Superior Court and Steven J. Singley ’00 as judge in the San Bernardino County Superior Court.

“You are perfect examples of what it means to be successful La Verne Law alumni,” Dean Gil Holmes said. “We appreciate the important role you play in your communities, your strong commitment to ethics and embodiment of La Verne’s values.”

Introduced by fellow alum Lisa Rogan ’01, Gassia and Singley were surrounded with support by La Verne alumni, faculty, students and special guests from throughout the legal and local communities.

Singley served in the US Navy Reserves as an Intelligence Specialist from 1986 to 1991. He received his undergraduate degree in International Studies and Political Science from Azusa Pacific University in 1995 before graduating from the University of La Verne College of Law in 2000. Singley spent his time as a Deputy District Attorney for San Bernardino County from 2000 to 2008 before becoming Deputy County Counsel until 2015.

Apkarian graduated from the University of La Verne in 1992. She served as Western regional director of the Armenian Assembly of America in 1995, where she was deputy executive director from 1994 to 1995. She then transitioned into the roles of special assistant to the ambassador at the Embassy of Armenia, Executive director of Democrats 2000 from 1997 to 1998, Public relations advisor to President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan from 1998 to 1999, Deputy public defender at the Orange County Public Defender’s Office from 2000 to 2007 and finally Senior attorney and president at Apkarian Defense APC.