Marin Independent Journal
Dick Spotswood is a seasoned political and government columnist for the Marin Independent Journal since 2004 and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Sacramento Seminar Inc. since 2009. As an attorney at Jacobs and Spotswood since 1974, Dick brings extensive legal expertise to their practice. Dick also held the position of past director for the Golden Gate Bridge District from 1982 to 1992 and served as Mayor and Councilmember for the City of Mill Valley during the same time frame. Dick Spotswood earned a BA and JD in Political Science and Law from the University of San Francisco between 1967 and 1973.
Marin Independent Journal
THE IJ'S ROOTS in Marin go back to March 23, 1861, just before the Civil War engulfed the United States. The first edition of the weekly Marin County Journal published that day had four pages, printed one at a time on a hand-operated press. In October 1957, the newspaper completed a building in downtown San Rafael that more than doubled the size of its plant. In January 1981, a new chapter began when the IJ moved from downtown San Rafael to southern Novato, just west of Highway 101. In 2010, the IJ was honored by the California Newspaper Publishers Association as the best newspaper of its size in the state. In addition to the award for General Excellence, the IJ also won top honors for Freedom of Information, best Opinion pages and best editorial cartoon. In August 2011, the IJ moved to its current location, near the Marin Civic Center in Terra Linda. Today, the newspaper continues to publish in print, online and via mobile device. This combined reach gives the IJ its largest audience ever.