Virginia Blumenthal
Whether in court, on the court, or in the game of life, well-known attorney and Riverside community leader Virginia Blumenthal knows a thing or two about what it takes to win. As an enthusiastic fan of UCR women's basketball, she enjoys attending games both at home and on the road. Last year, she and her husband Duane helped cheer the Lady Highlanders to a Big West Championship. They later made a gift to provide keepsake championship rings for the team.
Life So Far
As one of Riverside's most prominent criminal defense attorneys and owner of a successful law firm, she appears in the "Best Lawyers in America" directory and was recently named as one of the "Most Influential Attorneys in California" by the Daily Journal. She is the 2004 recipient of the ATHENA Award for outstanding community service, and served as president of the Riverside Symphony. For more than 25 years, she has worked to establish a nationally competitive "mocktrial" program involving students from more than 35 high schools that is today recognized as one of the best in the country. She is a mother of five, including three UCR graduates: Zachary '95, Jon '04 and Heather '06.
A Favorite UCR
Experience "Serving as an Honorary Coach for the team has been great fun, as has being a member of the Riverside ‘Wild Women'...a group of exceptionally accomplished community and business leaders who love our Highlanders. We wear our blue and gold, paint our faces, cheer our women out on the court and sometimes meet with the team afterwards. Once, after a particularly tough loss, we were there to encourage these young players...to respect and honor them for their talent, dedication and ambition in the face of extraordinary challenges..