38 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 26-JULY 2, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com FACE TO FACE Mitchel Winick was looking for something different. The Texas native served as assistant dean for the Texas Tech University School of Law with a sideline as a management consultant. And he had California’s Central Coast on his mind. “I didn’t need to look it up on a map,” he recalls, having visited the area as an undergraduate. “I knew where it was and I knew how beautiful it was.” So when he saw an opportunity at Monterey College of Law, he applied. Now, after 20 years as dean of the school, Winick is retiring. One of Winick’s biggest accomplishments has been to secure the school’s mission. A local law school for the community allows young lawyers to study and practice law without having to move away. For seven years, Winick has advocated to change the way the state bar licenses lawyers, seeking to increase access to justice and increase diversity in the profession. Winick also co-hosts the podcast Side Bar with Jackie Gardina, former dean of Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law. Weekly: How different is teaching law versus practicing law? Winick: I suspect most lawyers would tell you they spend a lot of time teaching the law, but the fact of the matter is not that many lawyers are good teachers. Being a great teacher is its own set of skills. All of our professors are practicing lawyers and judges. It does take some selection to pick those who really are able to take the complex ideas related to law, convert them into language and theories that a law student can understand—and then not only just understand, but be able to understand how they’re going to apply them when they become lawyers. Law has its own language. How can you make it more accessible? AI is going to help individuals who are not lawyers be able to ask questions and get answers that may help them. Is that the best practice of law? I would not recommend that anybody just go to the internet and say “that’s the answer,” but it’s absolutely going to help people better understand it. We tell first-year law students, “One of the things we’re going to teach you is a new language because the language of law is unique to law.” There is an entire language that lawyers need to learn to be able to help clients understand. Having access to lawyers and legal information is a critical part of access to justice. Most people will be surprised to hear that there is a shortage of lawyers. There are a lot of jokes about “there are too many lawyers. We don’t need more lawyers.” That’s actually just not true. If you think of South County, there’s not one full-time law firm in any one of those communities. What was your reaction when you learned the new courthouse will be in Seaside, not South County? I was disappointed. The challenge for access to justice in Monterey County is that you could be two hours away from the courthouse. People get their maybe 10 minutes in front of a judge, and then they drive home two hours. That is not access to justice. If you take Salinas out of the mix, the population of South County is almost the same population as the Peninsula side of the county. Most people don’t realize that. That side has no lawyers; this side, an abundance of lawyers. Why do you want to change the way the state bar licenses lawyers? The California bar exam is biased against non-white examinees. It’s just a statistical fact that’s been true since the 1950s. We know that there’s a disadvantage to having to take a high-stakes, timed exam in a language that’s not your native language. It has nothing to do with your competency or your ability to be a lawyer. You have a podcast. Do you listen to podcasts? I’m a reader and not a huge podcast listener, despite being a podcaster. Almost all of my reading is for entertainment. Law and order, law-related mysteries—that’s been my interest. Which are your favorite writers? I was a mystery book reader as a young child. I read the collection of Sherlock Holmes [by] Arthur Conan Doyle from cover to cover as a relatively young child. I loved Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe and all of their writings. My current authors would be derivations of those, all of [David] Baldacci’s and folks who write about politics and law and mystery. Justice for All As he retires from Monterey College of Law, Mitchel Winick remains committed to education. By Celia Jiménez “I hope to travel more,” Mitchel Winick says about his plans for retirement. He will also remain active on local boards related to housing, health and farmworkers. “As Congressman John Lewis would say, ‘There’s no shortage of good trouble to get into.’” DANIEL DREIFUSS Dog Walking Want to walk dogs? Please ll out our online volunteer application. If you’d like sponsor our next ad, give us a call. 831-718-9122 | www.POMDR.org Join our Helping Paw volunteer walking brigade today, and help a senior in our community give their beloved companion the exercise they need. O ering dog walking assistance to seniors gives them peace of mind, knowing that their dog is happy and healthy. (If you’d like to sponsor our next ad, please give us a call.) Ad sponsored by M.B.W.W.C. www.GoWhales.com Visit Our New Bene t Shop! Open Every Day Except Monday Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Come see the hidden gems, upscale goods, and nd your new favorites! 223 Grand Ave, Suite 1 Paci c Grove (831) 312-8991| www.POMDR.org BENEFIT SHOP
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