Victoria Jeanette Dodd, JD 1978, passed away peacefully in her Boston home on March 26, 2020 following a long illness. Dodd was born in Los Angeles, Calif. She was a dedicated teacher of criminal law, constitutional law, civil procedure and federal courts as a professor of law at Suffolk University Law School and at several other legal institutions. She was a respected scholar who made notable contributions to various areas of law, most notably to education law. Dodd was an active supporter of women in the legal profession, especially in legal education, and worked diligently to promote their interests and their status in the profession. Dodd was a loyal and devoted relative and friend who will be deeply missed by many.
She is survived by her parents, Geraldine (Nossaman) and William Dodd. She was predeceased by her two brothers, Andrew and Jonathan. Dodd is also survived by her niece, Ashley and her nephews, William, Ryan and Devin.
Jeffrey Babener, JD 1974, passed away March 16, 2020. He built and loved his niche legal practice representing multi-level marketing companies, becoming a leading expert and prolific writer in the industry. He traveled the world for work, and then brought his family to those faraway places to share the experience with them. With advice and funding he supported his wife Roz Babener’s founding of the Community Warehouse, which now furnishes the homes of 60 families in need every week. He is survived by his wife; children, Rebecca, Jeremy and Rachel; and two grandchildren, Sam and Ani.
John Francis Manning Rodriguez, JD 1974, a longtime criminal defense attorney who loved his family, Los Angeles and the California mountains, died April 30, 2020 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 1967 and from USC Law School in 1974, and practiced law for 45 years. Rodriguez believed in fairness and justice. During the Vietnam War, he served in the US Air Force as flight crew in a B-52 bomber. Rodriguez opposed the war, but he refused to claim conscientious objector status. Instead, he accepted orders to deploy, while voicing his belief that the war was unjust. Unsure how to handle Rodriqugez’s case, the Air Force cancelled his deployment and discharged him honorably. After graduating from law school, Rodriguez volunteered for the United Farm Workers (UFW) in the Coachella Valley, representing injured farm workers and defending union leaders against retaliation from employers. In the landmark California Supreme Court case, Vargas v. Riverside Municipal Court, Rodriguez successfully defended UFW leaders who were evicted from their homes in retaliation for organizing the Union. He believed that legal due process and the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” were human rights, fundamental to liberty and democracy, and chose to spend his career as a court-appointed attorney for adults and children who could not afford a lawyer.
Sally Meloch, JD 1987, served as an assistant US Attorney for 21 years, from 1989-2010. Over those years, she served in many leadership positions, including deputy chief and chief of major crimes where she helped lead the office’s response to the events of 9/11. Meloch also served as executive assistant U.S. Attorney. Among her many accolades, Meloch received both an EOUSA Director’s Award and an Attorney General’s Award.
Meloch left the USAO in 2010 to join the Los Angeles County Superior Court, and served as a Superior Court Judge from 2010-2018.
Meloch received her bachelor’s degree from USC, where she was valedictorian, and her JD from USC Law School. Following law school, Meloch worked as an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Los Angeles.
Meloch is survived by her husband, Louis Perez and her daughter, Katherine.
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