Joan Maredyth

Joan M. Maredyth is a native of Tucson, Arizona, but has lived in Sacramento, California since 1970. She has a B.A. degree in cultural anthropology from California State University, Sacramento. She began her career in law as a probate paralegal for Attorney Marcus Vanderlaan. Mr. Vanderlaan sponsored her to study law under an apprenticeship program, "Law Office Study Program," which required, among other things, the submission of monthly tests to the State Bar. After the first year, she took and passed the First Year Bar Examination. Upon completion of the entire program in four years, she took and passed the regular Bar examination in her first try. Since then, she has practiced Education Code law representing certificated school employees in dismissals, credential hearing, lay-offs, etc; as well as family law, probate wills and trusts, and general litigation. In 1993, she was certified by the California State Bar as a Family Law Specialist and she has been practicing law for over twenty-two years.