Chandra Gehri Spencer

The mission of CGS Law, is to provide quality legal representation to improve housing and public safety in California. CGS Law aims to provide better quality of life for its clients and the persons whom its clients service, while enhancing the stature of the legal profession. CGS Law was started by Chandra, a former City Prosecutor, to fulfill a desire for helping those less fortunate within the framework of a private law firm.

Chandra Gehri Spencer received her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, in 1996 from Pepperdine University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from California Lutheran University in 1994.  She is admitted to practice law in all California courts, the United States District Court for the Central District of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Ms. Spencer concentrates her practice on public law, dispute resolution and civil litigation, particularly in the areas of substandard housing, code enforcement, tort liability and police defense.  She was recently named a Rising Star by Southern California Super Lawyer Magazine.

Chandra has extensive experience in civil and criminal litigation.  She has handled numerous pre-trial proceedings, writs of mandate proceedings, civil suits, criminal prosecutions and appeals.  She has prosecuted and defended numerous cases on behalf of public agencies, in federal and state court and at the appellate level.  Ms. Spencer has first and second chaired both bench and jury trials.  In Buena Park Motel Assn. v. City of Buena Park, 109 Cal. App. 4th 302 (2003), she won a published victory in a case pertaining to regulation of motel stays and conditions within the City of Buena Park.

Ms. Spencer also has extensive training and experience in dispute resolution.  Chandra has represented public entities in numerous mediations, negotiations and arbitrations.  She consistently works to resolve disputes at the lowest cost, and on the most favorable terms, to her clients.  At Pepperdine University School of Law, in addition to her Juris Doctorate degree, Ms. Spencer received a Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution which required extensive course work and clinical experience in negotiation, mediation and arbitration.

Further, she provides advice and consultation pertaining to police and code enforcement policies and procedures.  Ms. Spencer has handled petitions and responded to requests made under the Public Records Act.  In Axelrad v. Superior Court, 82 Cal. App. 4th 819 (2000), Ms. Spencer successfully upheld the work product privilege and official information privilege for police departments and obtained reversal of a trial court’s broad grant of a public records act request for police manuals and investigation materials.

In law school, Ms. Spencer served as a member of the Pepperdine Law Review and authored “Beware of the Highwayman on the Information Superhighway:  A Balanced Proposal to Protect Copyrights Within the National Information Infrastructure,” 24 Pepperdine Law Review 121 (1996).   She was also an Extern Law Clerk to the Honorable Richard D. Aldrich, State of California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District.