professional bio
Teresa Dietz joined State Compensation Insurance Fund as a Workers’ Compensation defense attorney for the State of California in 2005 when many carriers had left the California market. Teresa assumed the case load of an attorney elevated to the Bench; trained the first San Diego Lien Unit; handled many Special Litigation matters; including bulk lien settlements. Teresa worked with top SCIF litigators in training Claims management and Claims Examiners; while also providing Workers’ Compensation seminars for the State Bar of California.
Teresa has represented the County of San Diego as Senior Deputy County Counsel; served as outside counsel for the City of San Diego; and represented Imperial County with their workers’ compensation claims while assisting with the resolution of a FEHA claim. Teresa has represented School Districts, Hospitals, and handled Safety Officers’ claims.
For over 20 years, Teresa has been a Judge Pro Tempore with the Superior Court, handling Small Claims and Traffic matters. She has served as a Mock Court Judge for local law schools. Teresa is listed as an Arbitrator with the Superior Court and the San Diego Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board where she has also served as a Pro Tem Judge.
Teresa graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. While in college, Teresa served as Director of the Internship Bureau matching business students with local companies; she pledged business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi; was on the Dean’s List; and served on the Yearbook Committee.
Thereafter, Teresa received her Juris Doctor degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, wrote two articles for the Criminal Justice Journal as assistant editor of the Law Review; studied International Law at Trinity College at Cambridge, England; and worked on the Student Government committee. She passed the California Bar in 1993 and opened her own office serving business owners and corporations.
Working with San Diego businesses, Teresa assisted management with their corporate structure; daily operations; employment and labor issues; set up employee benefits packages; drafted employee manuals; revised corporate contracts; and successfully represented clients with audits, Title VII discrimination claims and unemployment appeals.
On a personal note, Teresa Dietz has been involved with German Shepherd dog training and rescue since 1994; has been involved with Deep Sea Tournament Fishing in Mexico, traveled with Petty Enterprises as a corporate sponsor at NASCAR races, and lives in the Carmel Valley neighborhood of San Diego, California with her two German Shepherd dogs.
