VM Recommends – San Diego Edition

This month’s VM Recommends brings us selections from our 2023 Law Clerk, Olivia Totten.

What documentary is important to you?

I find the documentary “Paris is Burning” to be compelling. It shares the stories of Black, Latino, gay, and transgender individuals who were part of the 1980s LGBTQ+ ball culture of New York City. As an LGBTQ+ individual, this documentary is an important piece of history to me, and I re-watch it during Pride month.

What is your favorite place to get coffee in San Diego?

I recommend the coffee shop “Balboa Perk.”  It is a charming, locally owned coffee shop in Hillcrest. The owner, Milan, uses Serbian beans to roast his coffee. I like to order the macchiato! 

Want to know more about Olivia?

Olivia is a second-year law student at the University of San Diego School of Law, where she serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Climate and Energy Law, Social Media Chair of the Name and Gender-Marker Change Clinic, and Secretary of Pride Law. During her first year, she received a CALI award for her excellence in Legal Writing and Research. Olivia is also an intern at the Workers’ Rights Clinic, which provides free legal advice to unemployed and low-income workers. There, Olivia assesses claims of discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment and refers clients to the DFEH. She also represented a client in an Unemployment Insurance Appeal Hearing. Prior to graduation, Olivia will complete an externship with Judge Lee at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Previously, Olivia worked as a law clerk at an insurance defense firm. She graduated from Indiana University with high honors in 2020 and spent time interning as a community organizer with various LGBTQ+ grassroot campaigns.