I met Jacqueline Carey-Wilson several years back through Riverside County Bar Association (RCBA) events. She has always been actively involved. I was able to get to know her much better when I joined the Bar Publications Committee, which publishes the Riverside Lawyer, for which she serves as the editor. Her dedication to the Riverside Lawyer and to the bar association is phenomenal.
Jacqueline was born in Compton. She then moved to Paramount and ultimately to Cerritos in 1970, where she lived from the age of six to when she got married. She has six sisters and one brother, being the youngest of eight. Jacqueline received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from California State University, Fullerton in May of 1989. In college, she was part of the CSUF Model United Nations program and joined numerous groups such as the Young Democrats, Coalition Against Apartheid, and Beyond War.
During Jacqueline’s college years, she was involved in a terrible car accident, which resulted in numerous internal injuries and a closed head injury. She was in a coma for two weeks and in the hospital for two months, where she relearned basic skills, like walking and talking. From such a traumatic experience, Jacqueline is now stronger than ever, and her heart even more giving.
Jacqueline has been married for 25 years to Douglas Wilson and has three beautiful daughters, Katie, Julia, and Grace. Jacqueline and Douglas moved to Riverside after their marriage and have made Riverside their home ever since. Jacqueline is truly a family person. She loves spending time with her daughters, camping at the beach, going shopping, and watching movies. She loves spending time not only with her husband and daughters, but also with her father, John Peter Carey. Her father turned 90 this year and still resides in the home where she was raised. Jacqueline’s mother, Dorothy Pearce Carey, passed away in May 2010. Her parents had been married 62 years at that time and resided in their home 40 years. Jacqueline has a variety of hobbies, including photography. She enjoys taking pictures of people. She is also very involved in her church and belongs to Saint Andrew’s Newman Center. At Saint Andrew’s, Jacqueline is a Eucharistic Minister and lector and teaches the baptismal class with her husband. To anyone who knows her, it is clear that she is a very devout Catholic.
With her political science background, it comes as no surprise that Jacqueline became politically involved. During college, she traveled east and interned for Congressman Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt in the summer of 1987 and campaigned for his presidential election in Iowa and New Hampshire.1 Next, she was a field representative for Congressman George Edward Brown, Jr., who was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. Jacqueline had a passion for working for people and working towards contributing to the betterment of society.
With such passion, her work led her to law school in 1991. However, Jacqueline did not always want to become an attorney; she wanted to be a teacher. In 1995, she received her Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern University School of Law. She was admitted to the California bar in 1995, the Washington, D.C. bar in 1996, the Colorado bar in 1997, and the bar of the United States Supreme Court in 2005.
Jacqueline worked at law firms, was a deputy public defender in Riverside County, and was with the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two, before she became a deputy county counsel in San Bernardino County. She represents the Department of Child Support Services and the Department of Aging and Adult Social Services, and the Public Guardian. In other words, she has been helping the people who really need it the most, including children and seniors. Her dedication to vulnerable members of the public is obvious from her participation in the Volunteer Center of Riverside County, which is now called Community Connect, a nonprofit agency providing services to seniors, youth, people in crisis, court-referred clients, and welfare-to-work clients. From January 2001 to September 2007, she was a member of its board of directors, and she served as its president for two years. Currently, Jacqueline is on the Advisory Board for Community Connect.
Jacqueline has also been actively involved in various legal organizations. She was appointed in 2005 to the State Bar of California’s Public Law Section Executive Committee and is now an Advisor on the Executive Committee. Jacqueline is a Past President of the Inland Empire Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and is a current director. She is a board member of Inland Counties Legal Services and is co-chair of the local Red Mass Steering Committee.
And now, Jacqueline will serve as the next President of the RCBA. She is more than deserving and able to meet the expectations of the membership. She has been an active member since 1996. She first became involved with the RCBA through the Barristers, the young and new lawyers division of the RCBA. In 1997, she joined the Publications Committee of the RCBA and is currently its editor. With nearly 20 years of active experience with the RCBA, it is unquestionable that she will be a great president.
Jacqueline realizes that it is a critical time for funding. She would like to continue the momentum that former presidents Robyn Lewis and Chris Harmon have had in order to receive funding for federal, state, and appellate courts. She intends to lobby the legislature and to meet with the legislators to accomplish her goals.
So accomplished, yet so humble and dedicated, Jacqueline Carey-Wilson will undoubtedly be an ideal President of the RCBA. Jacqueline’s favorite saying is that if you see someone without a smile, then you should give them one of yours. I believe that saying is always in her mind, because not once have I seen her without a smile. I look forward to being a member of the RCBA during her presidency.
