From Cardinal to Courtroom: Isaac Calderon ’15 Returns to Bishop Diego

BDHS had the opportunity to reunite with Isaac Calderon, Class of 2015, who spoke with the Mock Trial team.

Isaac shared Mock Trial courtroom skills, his college and career path, and some of his favorite memories of BDHS — along with valuable advice on how to survive high school, drawn from both athletics and some unforgettable academic classes.

Having graduated just shy of 12 years ago, Isaac offered relatable, real-world connections between athletics, academics, college, and a career in law. He credited BDHS football with shaping his personal focus on and off the field, recalling how Coach Crawford's calm, steady leadership — whether running practice or coaching a game — demonstrated that focus and assertiveness are key in any professional or personal setting. The recently retired Ms. Williams also left a lasting impression, teaching him not to overthink reading and writing, but instead to find the details that unlock a story — and in doing so, discover both the enjoyment of reading and the power of putting pen to paper. Isaac admitted that distractions and fear often inflated challenges that weren't really there, and with Mrs. Hapeman's guidance, he learned how to self-correct and succeed.

Isaac reinforced with the Mock Trial Team the tools needed for competition: know the facts, pay attention to detail, and anticipate how the opposing side might argue. Be prepared — but don't just memorize a script; be natural. Read the room, know your audience, and remain composed at all times, because your professionalism is always on display. Above all, practice. Put in the work, just as a professional athlete repeats the same shot, serve, or pass over and over — never assume one perfect practice is enough.

Isaac consistently tied his advice back to what he learned at BDHS, expressing gratitude for his high school experience and education. He was especially happy his sister is now a Cardinal, with the opportunity to learn from some of the same teachers who shaped his own journey.

About Isaac Calderon

Isaac Calderon is a Santa Barbara native and a 2015 graduate of Bishop Garcia Diego High School, where he played football and baseball for the Cardinals. Today, he is a litigation associate in the San Francisco office of Fisher Phillips LLP, one of the largest law firms in the country devoted entirely to labor and employment law. Fisher Phillips represents management — meaning employers — in workplace disputes, with clients ranging from businesses of every size to Fortune 500 companies, much of that work taking place in the courtroom.

Isaac earned his B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior from UC Irvine in 2019 and his J.D. from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, in 2025. During law school, he interned with the U.S. Department of Labor as an employee benefits investigator, worked as a faculty research assistant studying vaccine law and policy, and served as a teaching assistant for two required first-year law courses tested on the California Bar Exam: Torts and Civil Procedure. He also contributed to a publication through the American Board of Trial Advocates exploring how group dynamics and social norms shape jury deliberations. In addition, Isaac has served as a scorekeeper for the Bar Association of San Francisco.