Julie Anne Ocheltree is a recognized authority on the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act.  She has 25 years of legal experience, mostly related to individuals with developmental disabilities, covering the practice  areas of civil litigation, appellate law, criminal law, conservatorships, mental health law, administrative law, and writs of mandate. With such deep knowledge and experience, Julie is able to see the broad picture which includes the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities as set forth in the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Act, the California Code of Regulations, Title 17, the Probate Code, and the Penal Code, as well as the legal obligations and limits of those obligations of the State Department of Developmental Services, the Regional Centers, Regional Center vendors, county child protective services agencies, school districts and others mandated to serve and protect the rights of children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Before partnering with Judy Enright in 1999, Julie practiced as an associate for Judy’s predecessor firm. Before that, she was a litigation associate for two boutique civil litigation firms.

She honed her skills as a litigator while still in law school, working as an extern for the Orange County District Attorney’s Sexual Assault & Child Abuse Unit. She also served as an extern to the Presiding Justice of The California Court of Appeal, 4th Appellate District.

Julie earned J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law, graduating cum laude. She was a student staff member of the Southwestern Law Review. She is admitted to the California State Bar and the United States District Court (Central District). She earned her B.A. form California State University, Fullerton in Communications and a minor in Spanish, after studying in Barcelona, Spain.  In high school, she was a volunteer at a local high school for students with developmental disabilities. In college, she worked as an admitting clerk in a hospital emergency room—which may well explain why she handles stressful situations so calmly and rationally.

Julie’s published decisions include Inland Counties Regional Center vs. Superior Court (2017) 10 Cal. App. 5th 820; In re Williams (2014) 228 Cal. App. 4th 989; Michelle K. vs. Superior Court (2013) 221 Cal. App. 4th 409; Conservatorship of Whitley (2007) 155 Cal. App. 4th 1447; Hayes vs. Dept. of Developmental Services (2006) 138 Cal. App. 4th 1523.