M.J. has been an award-winning prosecutor and teacher of trial advocacy skills.  Her dynamic style brings to life training programs in all areas of litigation, negotiation, gender and communication skills.

M.J. was Deputy District Attorney for Alameda County ( Oakland), California for over 15 years. Her extensive trial experience includes the prosecution of complex criminal cases including homicide, sexual assault and white collar crimes. She headed the major fraud unit for 5 years.  She trained lawyers in trial advocacy within the District Attorney's office and throughout the State of California. M.J. was named as one of California's most effective prosecutors by California Lawyer and has won numerous teaching awards.

She has taught evidence and trial advocacy since 1985 for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy ( NITA) and for over a decade served as the Program Director for NITA's Western Regional Trial Program and Deposition Program. She also served as the program director for the Pittsburgh Regional Trial Training Program and for a program she developed in 1994 called Training the Woman Advocate. M.J. has created new programs about Gender in Advocacy such as Gender in Questioning, Gender in Negotiations, and Gender and Persuasion to help lawyers understand when gender is a significant factor in strategic decisions or skill development.

Ms. Tocci coaches partners and associates in both the corporate and legal world to improve their communication and presentation skills. Ms. Tocci has created in-house training programs for many of the nation's leading law firms and government agencies. She has consulted with schools on issues of gender and education and she assists law firms involved in litigation on issues related to experts and gender. She routinely consults with law firms assisting them on issues of female retention and achieving diversity in succession planning.

Tocci has been an Adjunct Professor of Law teaching evidence and trial advocacy at Boalt Hall School of Law, Hastings College of Law, McGeorge School of Law and Stanford Law School. She has been a full time Professor at Duquesne University Law School where she has taught advanced evidence, trial advocacy, criminal law and criminal procedure.

She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and University of San Francisco Law School. She is admitted to practice in the State of California. Ms. Tocci has been teaching trial advocacy since 1985 and was engaged in active law practice from 1981 until 1996.