Devon Nishimura, a former Dixon City Councilman, and his wife at his CalNorthern School of Law graduation. Courtesy photo

DIXON, CA (MPG) - The name of a long-time Dixon lawyer slipped right off the tongue of former Dixon City Councilman Devon Nishimura when asked about who he attributed the launch of his legal career. Nishimura, formerly Devon Minnema from Dixon, graduated from Cal Northern School of Law in May, passed the bar in July, and was sworn in by U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Cota last month as an Officer of the Court.

Doris McCready, a long-time Dixon lawyer and member of Soroptimist International of Dixon, was instrumental in starting his success.

“Nobody practiced election law so I figured civil litigation was as close as I could get when the City of Dixon was trying to sue me about politics,” he explained. “I was contacting her about legal advice and about representing me. I had done some research online and gave her a brief of the case over the phone. I described to her my position, what was going on, and what I thought -- even cited some of the cases I had looked up. I told her ‘I want to fight this thing.’”

“She very politely explained that she didn’t practice that kind of law. But she was impressed with how I presented it and was impressed that I had already gathered some of the precedents. Then she gave me the names of a couple firms that might be able to help,” he said.

Before their conversation ended, McCready asked him if he ever considered going to law school.

“She told me I might make a good lawyer.”

Nishimura was attending Woodland College at the time, working full time at Dixon Tractor Supply, plus involved in his Dixon City Council duties. 

“I thought a bachelor’s degree was a long way down the road at that time. I didn’t even have an Associates, yet,” he told her. “That’s when she told me you don’t have to have a bachelor’s degree to go to a California Bar law school –you only need an associate. She told me about Lincoln Law School.” She had attended a similar school.

“Well, that was a lot more do-able. I could do four years of school, but six more years of school sounded awful,” he said with a laugh. “I told her that’s great information to know and it stuck in my head.” But when he looked into it, there was no way to make that work with his Council schedule.

Like many young people, he considered his options for his future. He made an unsuccessful run for Supervisor and two years later, a “long shot” for Dixon Mayor but was edged out by Steve Bird.

“When I ran but didn’t get elected, the gates were open and I could go to law school,” he said. He enrolled at Lincoln Law in Sacramento and married in 2021 transferring to Cal Northern School of Law in Chico near where the couple moved. While attending classes at night, he worked for the Tehama County Counsel in Red Bluff during the days.

He now works his new passion full time on a variety of cases but mostly defense at Maire & Deedon in Redding.

The swearing in ceremony at Dixon City Hall in 2016 that included newly elected Treasurer Wesley Atkinson, Councilmen Devon Minnema and Steve Bird, and Mayor Thom Bogue. File photo

“You’re dealing with people who never once in their life thought they’d get sued. Maybe there was a lapse of judgement but there are plenty of opportunists who think there’s a chance to cash in,” he said. “Clients have been served with papers and it’s not their choice to start litigation.”

“Someone is out to ruin their lives and that’s a lot of what being a defense attorney is about. You’re being entrusted with someone’s livelihood – putting people in the hole for years not to mention possibly wiping out an entire generation’s worth of work. It’s about protecting them.”

Although the Quo Warranto was dismissed by the State Attorney General, there was no apology by the City of Dixon. Yet, he has no hard feelings.

“I was well past all of that a long time ago,” he said. “In hindsight, I’m glad I had that experience with Dixon City Council because it put me where I’m at now and I hope nobody ever has to go through that.”