{"id":14752,"date":"2025-04-16T10:59:58","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T17:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/law\/2025\/04\/16\/alumni-on-the-move-ray-gennaway\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T16:35:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:35:03","slug":"alumni-on-the-move-ray-gennaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/2025\/04\/16\/alumni-on-the-move-ray-gennaway\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumni on the Move: Ray Gennawey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ray Gennawey\u2019s (JD ’14) journey from a law student at Chapman University to the Mayor of Laguna Niguel and a prosecutor in the Orange County District Attorney\u2019s Office<\/a> (OCDA) reveals a steadfast commitment to public service and justice. With over a decade of experience in the OCDA, he has become a pillar of his community, balancing a distinguished legal career with a vital leadership role in local government.<\/p>\n

Growing up in Laguna Niguel, Gennawey didn\u2019t set out to become a lawyer. It was through his family\u2019s love for TV shows like The West Wing<\/em> that his interest in public service sparked a life-long commitment to serving others. Encouraged by his parents, Gennawey saw that the law could be a powerful tool for effecting change in his community. In turn, this led him to Chapman, where he became immersed in student leadership, serving as the President of the Student Bar Association (SBA) and representing law students at the American Bar Association\u2019s national convention. His involvement in Chapman\u2019s Mock Trial program further cemented his passion for criminal law, and an internship with the OCDA confirmed his call to the bar as a prosecutor.<\/p>\n

Gennawey\u2019s legal career began with a fellowship at the OCDA, and he has spent over ten years with their office working on high-profile criminal cases. He is currently assigned to the Special Litigation Unit, where you will find him handling complex homicide cases, having previously served in the OCDA\u2019s Gang Unit. For Gennawey, the work is more than just legal procedure\u2014it\u2019s about ensuring justice and providing closure to victims’ families. \u201cIn my role, it\u2019s not just about convictions; it\u2019s about making sure that justice is served,\u201d Gennawey explains.<\/p>\n

His dedication to public service extends beyond the courtroom. Gennawey was elected mayor of Laguna Niguel, his hometown, where he dedicated himself to ensuring the city remains one of the safest in California. Under his leadership, Gennawey\u2019s quiet southern Californian hometown town has focused on maintaining a balanced budget, improving public safety and fostering its thriving business community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to make a real difference,\u201d he adds, \u201cwhether it’s through the courtroom or in local government. I campaigned on the slogan \u2018Keep Laguna Niguel, Laguna Niguel,\u2019 because I want to preserve the great quality of life that residents enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gennawey has faced triumphs and challenges throughout his career, but the rewarding moments\u2014like seeing justice served in complex cases\u2014remain some of his most fulfilling. Despite the emotional weight of his responsibilities, Gennawey remains committed to the cause, rising to meet new challenges head-on, \u201cLaw school is meant to be hard, but perseverance is key,\u201d he notes, \u201cif you fall, get back up quickly. The process is designed to challenge you\u2013keep pushing.\u201d<\/p>\n

For law students and young attorneys, Gennawey\u2019s advice is straightforward: pursue your passion for public service, gain real-world experience, and be mentally tough. \u201cIntern at a DA\u2019s office or watch trials in courtrooms,\u201d he urges, \u201cthere\u2019s no substitute for hands-on experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

He emphasizes the importance of balancing academic rigor with practical skills, advising students to excel in courses like evidence, criminal procedure, and mock trial. He credits his supportive spouse, Rachel Gennawey, for helping him maintain a balance between his demanding career and family life. Together, they raise their young son and work to improve their community, \u201cHaving a supportive partner is essential,\u201d Gennawey adds, \u201cwith the right people around you, you can do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Gennawey continues to serve both as a prosecutor and a mayor, his career remains focused on making a positive difference in his community. His work in both the courtroom and city government is a testament to his unwavering dedication to justice, public service, and the people of Laguna Niguel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Commitment to Public Service<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4618,"featured_media":14546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,386],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-dale-e-fowler-school-of-law"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4618"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14752"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14752\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}