Ricardo J. Soto

Of Counsel

San Diego
655 West Broadway
15th Floor

TEL: (619) 525-1329
Ricardo.Soto@bbklaw.com

Ricardo Soto is Of Counsel in the Schools and Special Education Practice Group of Best Best & Krieger LLP.  Mr. Soto has practiced in the area of school law, with a particular emphasis on school accountability, charter schools, employment issues, special education and student issues, for over ten years.  During that period, Mr. Soto has also been involved in issues concerning higher education, the Fair Political Practices Act, the Brown Act and redistricting election districts.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Soto served as Assistant Secretary of Education and Legal Counsel in the Office of the Secretary of Education from September 2005 through February 2007.  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Mr. Soto to the position in August 2005.  In his position, Mr. Soto advised the Governor’s Office and the Office of the Secretary of Education on policy and legal issues involving legislative and regulatory proposals concerning school accountability, academic achievement, charter schools, community colleges, curriculum and instruction, student financial aid issues, and teacher credentialing and preparation programs.  Mr. Soto negotiated, on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Education and in conjunction with the Governor’s Office and California Department of Finance, legislative and regulatory proposals with the California State Senate, California State Assembly, California State Board of Education, California Department of Education, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, California Community Colleges, California State University, University of California, California Student Aid Commission, California Health and Human Services Agency and other educational advocacy groups.  Mr. Soto served as a member of the U.S.-Mexican Border Governors Education Commission, California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, Cyber Safety Advisory Committee, and Governor’s Office school-based health centers and mental health services workgroups.  Lastly, Mr. Soto served as liaison for the Office of the Secretary of Education to the California Advisory Commission on Special Education.

From 1997 to 2005, Mr. Soto served as in-house counsel at San Diego Unified School District.  As in-house counsel, Mr. Soto was responsible for legal support of District initiatives and reforms, and provided technical expertise and assistance to the Board of Education, Superintendent and senior staff.  In addition, Mr. Soto represented the District before federal and state courts and administrative bodies, including The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, U. S. District Courts, California Superior Courts, Commission on Professional Competence and Special Education Hearing Office.  Mr. Soto also coordinated the process for redistricting trustee election districts and compliance with the District conflict of interest code.

Mr. Soto received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.  He was a recipient of a Skadden Fellowship, and worked at California Rural Legal Assistance from 1993 to 1997.  Mr. Soto has presented workshops on No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  He is a member of the California and Wisconsin Bar.

Bar & Court Admissions

• California, 1993
• U.S. District of the Southern District of California
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, October 2000

Education

• JD, University of Wisconsin Law School
• BA, Marquette University, WI