Joseph (Joey) Esposito

Managing Partner at Seki, Nishimura & Watase

Joseph (Joey) Esposito is currently the managing partner at Seki, Nishimura & Watase, a boutique law firm in downtown Los Angeles that specializes in representing law enforcement officers. Prior to joining the firm, he led a distinguished 32-year career as a prosecutor in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 1989. Mr. Esposito rose from a summer law clerk to Chief Deputy District Attorney. As Chief Deputy District Attorney, the second-highest ranking position in the DA’s office, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the largest local prosecutor’s office in the United States. His responsibilities included supervising the office’s nearly 1,000 attorneys, 300 peace officers, and 800 support staff members. He previously served as the Assistant District Attorney in charge of Special Operations, Director of the Bureau of Specialized Prosecutions, Head Deputy in the Major Narcotics Division, Assistant Head Deputy of the Hardcore Gang Division, Special Assistant in the Bureau of Central Operations, and Felony Trial Deputy in the Hardcore Gang Division, Hate Crimes Suppression Unit and Central Trials.

Mr. Esposito has been recognized for his outstanding skills in the courtroom by such entities as the Association of Deputy District Attorneys and Justice for Homicide Victims who named him as Prosecutor of the Decade in 1999. In 2010 he was awarded California Prosecutor of the Year by the California Narcotics Officers Association. Mr. Esposito was again recognized in 2016 by the Fidler Criminal Justice Institute at Loyola Law School as Prosecutor of the Year. Mr. Esposito served as a board member of the California Homicide Investigators Association from 2014 to 2018, where he was the first and only prosecutor ever named to the CHIA Board in its 50 plus year history.

Mr. Esposito has also continued a close association with his alma mater Southwestern Law School for over three decades—as a student, alumnus, and faculty member. While a law student at Southwestern, he chaired the Moot Court Honors Program Board of Governors and won top writing and oralist awards in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Just three years after graduating, he returned to Southwestern as a member of the adjunct faculty to teach Trial Advocacy. He also served as faculty advisor to the teams including the Jessup Moot Court Competition for ten years. The Moot Court Honors Program presented him with the Faculty Appreciation Award in 1995. In 2000, he was awarded Southwestern’s first annual Adjunct Excellence in Teaching Award. Now as member of the full-time faculty, he continues to teach Trial Advocacy and Advanced Trial Advocacy and serves as faculty advisor to the Trial Advocacy Honors Program. Mr. Esposito served as the keynote speaker at Southwestern’s Orientation Program for new students in 2006. He was named Associate Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Trial Advocacy Honors Program in 2009. In 2016, Mr. Esposito was acknowledged for his long-standing contributions to Southwestern Law School as Co-Alumnus of the Year.

Mr. Esposito also served on the Covenant House California board of directors from 2008 to 2018 when he moved to their Advisory Board where he still serves. He acted as the board’s Governance Chair from 2012 to 2016.