The deputy district attorney who oversees insurance fraud, wage theft and other workers’ rights cases for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office will be honored at the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Foundation’s 42nd Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala Dinner Saturday.
Sherry Thompson-Taylor, chief of the District Attorney’s Office Insurance Fraud Division, will be presented with a legal trailblazer award “for demonstrating a significant commitment to serving the legal profession via excellence in practice, legal education, and mentoring and community service,” the office announced Saturday.
“She is a powerful role model and strong leader in our office when it comes to programs pertaining to professional development, diversity and inclusion,” San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan said of Thompson- Taylor. “She has opened doors for others to follow — especially women attorneys and attorneys of color. I am so proud to have Sherry on our management team and of all the work she does to help build safe and equitable communities.”
Thompson-Taylor manages a team of 60 employees in what is one of the largest divisions of the District Attorney’s Office. Over the course of her 22- year career, she has served in other leadership positions and divisions within the office and has prosecuted cases involving homicides, robberies and sexually violent predators, officials said.
Thompson-Taylor has also previously served as president of the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association, as chair of the San Diego County Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section and as co-chair of the Lawyers Club’s Professional Advancement Committee.
In the community, Thompson-Taylor has volunteered for numerous events over the years including the Women’s Resource Fair and currently serves as a Girl Scout Troop co-leader, the District Attorney’s Office said.
The Earl B. Gilliam Bar Foundation is a charitable organization that represents the interests of the African-American legal community in San Diego County. The foundation provides support for diversifying the legal community, including providing scholarships for law students and support for African- American legal professionals.
–City News Service