Mariko Kotani is a Deputy Legislative Counsel. She first joined the office in 2014.

Ms. Kotani is assigned to the Opinion Branch, which develops and presents, either in written or oral form, the formal legal opinions of the Office of Legislative Counsel.

During her one-year hiatus from the office in 2021, Ms. Kotani served as counsel for the Commission on State Mandates. Before that, she was an attorney with the Department of Consumer Affairs, where she drafted regulatory packages. Prior to joining the office in 2014, she interned with the Office of Legislative Counsel, Bay Area Legal Aid, the Family Law Facilitator’s Office at the San Mateo County Superior Court, and Shakai Fukushi Houjin Kibou no Ie in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.

Ms. Kotani received her J.D. from Santa Clara University, School of Law, graduating summa cum laude. She earned undergraduate degrees in sociology and Japanese from Stanford University.  

Ms. Kotani is a member of the California State Bar.