McGeorge’s Capital Center for Law & Policy Alumni Board

Berg is President of Governmental Advocates. He joined Governmental Advocates in 1995 after spending 40 years in state government service, the last 22 of which were spent working for the California State Senate. As the senior partner in the firm, Berg has provided advocacy strategy to a wide variety of corporate, non-profit and association clients. His areas of expertise include taxation, internet/ technology, financial products and services, telecommunications, health care and local government. Berg also specializes on developing business opportunities for corporate clients with the state, and has also worked extensively on taxation issues. Berg is particularly experienced in the state budget process and has worked closely with a wide variety of nonprofit clients seeking state funding.

Immediately prior to joining Governmental Advocates, Berg served 11 years as Executive Officer of the Senate. As Executive Officer, Berg was responsible for the administration of the State Senate and worked directly for two successive President Pro Tempores, Sen. David Roberti and Sen. Bill Lockyer '86. Due to this experience, Berg brings the firm’s clients a unique perspective on the legislative and governmental process and insights into the politics of policy making in California.

He is a member of the California State Bar and a graduate of McGeorge School of Law. He has his BA from Occidental College in Los Angeles.

Active in the Sacramento Jewish community, Berg is currently on the Board of the Sacramento Jewish Federation and is active in a wide variety of civic organizations. Berg has also served as a volunteer Judge Pro Tempore in the Sacramento Small Claims Court. He is married to his wife, Debra, and has three children.

Former Assemblyman Ken Cooley '84 was admitted to the State Bar in fall 1984 after earning his Juris Doctor at McGeorge School of Law the prior spring. As an evening law student, his State Capitol day was as the Assembly Rules Chair’s top staff member, a broad role that included managing all his legislation.

Cooley's Capitol career began in 1977, the year he graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a BA in political science. During his first post-Cal job hunt visit to the State Capitol, Cooley was told most Capitol professional jobs are one of 3 types – as Member personal staff, as subject matter expert staff advising a committee, or in third house advocacy. For Cooley, this simple formulation proved to be a road map, although voters in Sacramento County added a 4th category by electing him to the State Assembly five times.

Cooley brought lots to his State Assembly responsibilities since he had worked for 20 years in the pre-term limits Capitol. That helped him see a path to break the nearly 2-decade impasse to adopt rules for medical marijuana (a 2015 breakthrough) and pass a ground-breaking 2016 law setting concussion protection rules for high school football.

Cooley was Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee for more than 6 years – the longest in several decades. His responsibilities including guiding new Member training, making all bill referrals, and supervising all Assembly staff employment.

Over the same period, Cooley also chaired the Joint Rules Committee of the Senate and Assembly. In that role, Cooley's leadership began immediately; he reactivated the Joint Committee with a series of hearings that ended a 15 year hiatus) (See: Hearings | California State Assembly ) In this way, Cooley galvanized a newly-engaged Joint Committee to begin - with strong bipartisanship – the  Capitol Annex Project, including the design and building of the temporary home for the Legislative and Executive branches, the Swing Space facility. Home | California State Assembly

During his first Assembly term, (2014), Assemblyman Cooley envisioned and oversaw development of the Assembly Oversight Handbook in collaboration with senior Assembly staff. As Rules Chair, he added it to the Assembly’s home page in 2017. 2017 Oversight Handbook | California State Assembly

During his Assembly tenure, Assemblyman Cooley also Chaired the Select Committee on Foster Youth and served for 10 years on the Governmental Organization, Insurance, and Public Employment and Retirement standing committees.

In 1985 upon my admission to the Bar, I became Legislative Counsel to the California Land Title Association. In this third house advocacy role, he was active on legislation touching insurance, mortgage finance, housing, real estate and judiciary matters.

In 1988, the Assembly under Speaker Willie Brown Jr. hired me as Chief Counsel for the Assembly Finance and Insurance Committee. This committee’s broad scope embraced mortgage finance, banks/savings and loans/credit unions, all lines of insurance (property and casualty, life, health, disability & workers compensation), and both the FAIR Plan and the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF). My responsibilities including managing the staff and calendar to support an active F & I oversight agenda. The F & I committee’s oversight work included the rare use of legislative subpoenas as it convened hearings on the 1980’s savings and loan crisis, the Transit and Mission insurer insolvencies, and post-disaster insurance and recovery issues after 1989’s Loma Prieta earthquake. (Cooley served on the CA Seismic Safety Commission - 2007-2009 & 2015-22 – due to this background.)

In 1991, I became in-house counsel for State Farm Insurance. My law practice involved advising my employer and colleagues on legislative strategy and guiding – in both California and over a dozen other states - messaging and effective advocacy strategy for translating complex legal matters to non-technical audiences.

In my final law job, in 2009 the State Senate hired me to be Principal Consultant to its Banking and Finance Committee with a focus on insurance. I held that role for 3 years until January 2012 when I announced my State Assembly bid.

Prior to my election to the Assembly, I was already a public official, having served for 10 years as a founding Councilman for the City of Rancho Cordova (2002 to 2012) and 2 terms as Mayor (2005 and 2010). During my elective career, peers in other units of government have advanced me to leadership roles for the:

League of California Cities, (1^st and 2^nd Statewide Vice President, 2008/2009)

National Council of Insurance Legislators, (President 2022, National Officer 2017-2022)

Council of State Governments West, Co-Chair, Oversight Working Group and 2023 recipient of the Bettye Fahrenkamp Award for Distinguished Legislative Leadership. 

Jessica Gosney currently serves as a Deputy Legislative Counsel in the Office of Legislative Counsel (OLC), where she drafts bills, amendments, resolutions, and initiatives, and provides legal advice on current and pending legislation for both houses and parties of the California Legislature. Gosney previously worked in political campaigning and nonprofit advocacy in California and Washington, D.C., including for MoveOn.org, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, the California Public Interest Research Group, and the California State Assembly. Gosney earned her JD from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 2017 where she graduated Valedictorian and served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of the Pacific Law Review. Gosney received a BS degree from the University of California, Davis in 2010. She is an active member of the California State Bar.

Sosan Madanat is Vice President of W Strategies LLC. She is a passionate legislative advocate with more than eleven years of experience in public policy and state legislation. Driven by her dedication to service and community, Sosan has effectively advocated for clients on an extensive array of issues, including the finance and development of affordable housing, access to affordable healthcare, animal welfare, agriculture and climate-related issues, consumer protections, and economic and social justice.

Sosan is a proud member of the McGeorge School of Law Alumni Board of Directors and the Capital Advisory Committee. She also serves on the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee for the Los Rios Community College District.  

Jamie Taylor '17 has an extensive career focused on leadership, diversity, and inclusion, making a significant impact on California’s legislative processes. Currently serving as the Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the California State Senate, Taylor's role centers on fostering an inclusive environment within the Senate. His leadership ensures fair representation, equal opportunities, and a culture of respect across legislative operations. 

Before this, Taylor directed the Senate Fellows Program, a prestigious initiative that trains and mentors emerging leaders through hands-on experience in California’s legislative process. His background also includes valuable experience in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, where he contributed to legislative process management and publications. A proud McGeorge School of Law graduate, Taylor earned his Master of Science in Law in 2017, further solidifying his expertise in law and public policy.