Sharon Spivak served as legal advisor to the 2010 Redistricting Commission for the City of San Diego, only the second time the city had conducted an independent redistricting process. In that role, Sharon counseled an independent, volunteer panel through 45 public hearings, resulting in a whole new map of the City’s Council districts, expanding from 8 to 9 seats. Significantly, the plan was adopted without legal challenge.

Sharon is a Senior Deputy City Attorney in the Government Affairs Unit of the Office of the San Diego City Attorney. Sharon is the City of San Diego’s principal elections, ethics and redistricting attorney. As an advisor to the city’s public officials and departments, she also routinely advises in the areas of constitutional law, First Amendment, conflicts of interest, open meeting and public records laws. She serves as advisory counsel to the San Diego City Council, Mayor’s Office, City Clerk and other city departments, and previously served as counsel to the city’s Elections Task Force and Charter Amendment Commission.

Sharon previously worked for eight years as a litigator with Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich (now DLA Piper), a national law firm. Prior to that, Sharon spent 13 years as a newspaper reporter, winning numerous awards for her coverage of government and politics at the local, state and national levels. While serving as a political writer for The San Diego Union-Tribune (and previously the San Diego Tribune), Sharon covered U.S. presidential campaigns, California statewide elections, the California Legislature and San Diego City Hall.

Sharon has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She received her juris doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, where she served as Lead Articles Editor of the San Diego Law Review. She is a member of the California State Bar.