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Stefan clerked for Judge Paul J. Watford at the Ninth Circuit prior to joining GMSR. As a clerk, he honed his writing skills and saw up close how judges decide cases. He has also worked as a litigator at a large firm, where he analyzed complex issues in motions and briefs at both the trial and appellate levels. His writing about the law has appeared in Law360, The Business Lawyer, UCLA Law Review, and UCLA’s Journal of Law and Technology. He graduated first in his class from the UCLA School of Law.

But before he became a lawyer, Stefan was a professor of music theory. His Ph.D. is from the Eastman School of Music; he has taught theory at Oberlin College and Conservatory, the University of Chicago, and, most recently, on a tenure track at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Teaching music theory has proven to be apt preparation for appellate advocacy, as both require incisive analysis of difficult concepts. Indeed, Stefan has yet to encounter a legal issue more daunting than music theory at its most arcane.

Outside of work, Stefan enjoys playing the piano, cooking, and spending time with his wife and two sons.