Seat at the Table

Kelly Dermody is Managing Partner of the San Francisco

office and chair of the employment practice group at Lieff Cabraser Heimann

& Bernstein, LLP.  Kelly represents

employees and consumers in class, collective, and #metoo actions.

Kelly is a leader in non-profit organizations devoted to

serving the public interest, improving access to justice, and ensuring that the

rights of historically disenfranchised persons are protected.

In 2012, Kelly served as President of the Bar Association of

San Francisco. She has been inducted as a Fellow in the College of Labor and

Employment Lawyers and has served on the governing Council of the ABA Labor and

Employment Law Section. 

In 2016, Kelly was named a “Giant Slayer” by The Recorder

legal press. Kelly has been named as a 2019 recipient of the Margaret Brent Women

Lawyers of Achievement Award by the American Bar Association.

Kelly is a graduate of Harvard College and Berkeley Law

School.

 LISTEN HERE: Volume 14

With Hosts:  Summer C.

Selleck and Ariel B. Lee

Sound Editing and Recording: Gilbert Leung

Music: Jonathan M. C. Jordan

Recording At:  Alameda

County District Attorney Office 

Anita Santos is a Judge of the Superior Court, Contra Costa County. She was appointed by Governor Brown in December 2014 and is currently assigned to felony criminal trials. 

Prior to her appointment, Judge Santos sat as a Commissioner hearing child support matters with the Department of Child Support Services. 

 Judge Santos began her career as a police dispatcher with the Concord Police Department and the University of California, Berkeley, Police Department, followed by becoming a police officer with the Concord Police Department for several years. 

She left the Concord Police Department to become prosecutor in Contra Costa County for eleven years. 

Judge Santos then opened her own practice as a family law practitioner for five years, before she returned to the courts as a Commissioner and then Judge of the Superior Court. 

Judge Santos attended Solano Community College, then transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sociology and Ethnic Studies. She completed her formal education at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. 

Judge Santos is married with four children.

LISTEN HERE: VOLUME 13

With Hosts:  Summer C. Selleck and Ariel B. Lee

 Sound Editing and Recording: Gilbert Leung

 Music: Jonathan M. C. Jordan 

Recording At:  Alameda County District Attorney Office  

Neda A. Mansoorian is a co-founder of and the managing partner at Oleander Law Partners LLP. Located in Los Gatos, California, she provides crisis management services for her individual and corporate clients in Santa Clara County, Silicon Valley and other parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. Admitted to practice before all California state courts, Ms. Mansoorian is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California.

Ms. Mansoorian uses her extensive background and experience in litigation, business, mediation, and negotiations to provide advice and counsel to clients who are risking the loss of their reputation and standing when they are facing a crisis in their personal or business lives. The types of matters that she has handled in this regard have involved business disputes, embezzlement, wrongful termination, extortion, high-profile divorces and workplace harassment. She has counted among her clients chief executive officers, public companies and public officials. The manner in which she has handled what are often sensitive issues has earned her the respect of her colleagues, as evidenced by her receipt of an AV Preeminent peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell every year since 2014. Ms. Mansoorian has also been named to the Silicon Valley Business Journal's annual 40 Under 40 list.

Prior to founding Oleander Law Partners LLP in October 2016, Ms. Mansoorian was a partner and the chief legal officer at a well-known San Jose law firm. While she was there, she represented many high-profile clients and helped to resolve their disputes both in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. A fellow in both the American Bar Foundation and the Litigation Counsel of America, Ms. Mansoorian holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law.

LISTEN HERE: VOLUME 12

With Hosts: 

Summer C. Selleck

Ariel B. Lee

Sound Editing and Recording: Gilbert Leung

Music: Jonathan M. C. Jordan

Recording At: Alameda County District Attorney Office 

Judge Douglas was appointed to the Contra Costa Superior Court by Governor Jerry Brown in July 2014 and joined the bench that August after concluding her last murder trial as a San Francisco prosecutor. She had previously served as a deputy district attorney in the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office from 2000 to 2013.

Judge Douglas grew up in Redwood City, went to undergraduate school in Missouri. Judge Douglas landed a job at the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office right out of law school. She built a reputation as a diligent prosecutor, popular among her colleagues, opposing lawyers and judges. Serving as a member of her office's domestic violence unit, Judge Douglas tried her first murder charge when the victim of an assault later died. It was the first of many homicide victories for the young DA.

Judge Douglas moved to San Francisco in 2013 because her mom lives there, and her brothers lives in Daly City. 

LISTEN HERE: VOLUME 11

With Hosts: 

Summer C. Selleck

Ariel B. Lee

Sound Editing and Recording: Gilbert Leung

Music: Jonathan M. C. Jordan

Recording At: Alameda County District Attorney Office 

Judge Victoria Kolakowski became the first and only openly transgender trial judge in the United States when she was elected to the Alameda County Superior Court in November 2010.  

As a judge, she has served in both civil and criminal trial assignments. She recently completed a year as the Supervising Judge of the Collaborative Courts, with subject matter oversight over all of the treatment courts (drug, behavioral health, veterans’, etc.) in Alameda County.

Judge Kolakowski is also passionate about ensuring and expanding access to justice, particularly for those with limited resources.  She serves on the Judicial Council of California’s Advisory Committee on Providing Access and Fairness, and is the California Council of Churches' appointee to the California Commission on Access to Justice.

She has been a leader in educating the judiciary on transgender issues.

She is also a frequent speaker on LGBT issues, internationally, nationally and locally. For example, Judge Kolakowski conducted a series of four videoconferences in June, 2017 with LGBT and allied civil rights leaders hosted at U.S. consulates in India - at the request of the U.S. Dept. of State.

Judge Kolakowski is a former President of the International Association of LGBT Judges, and of the Earl Warren American Inn of Court chapter in Alameda County.

Judge Kolakowski was an attorney for twenty-one years in Louisiana and California, serving as a sole practitioner, attorney in a small firm, as general counsel for a publicly traded company, as a senior government utility regulatory attorney, and as an administrative law judge for two different California agencies.

Since coming out publicly in 1989, she has been a leader in numerous local, state and national LGBT legal, political and spiritual organizations. Her many accomplishments include co-authoring Berkeley, California's domestic partner public registration ordinance in 1991 and co-chairing the board of directors of the Transgender Law Center, an organization focused on the well-being and protection of transgender individuals. 

She has received numerous awards, including the Pioneer in the Law Award from California Women Lawyers in 2014 and the Distinguished Service Award from the Alameda County Bar Association in 2015. She was a community grand marshal for San Francisco Pride in 2011, and marched with BALIF, the local LGBT Bar Association.

Judge Kolakowski is being honored by the California State Assembly in March as the 2019 Woman of the Year for the 18th Assembly District. 

She lives in Oakland with her wife Cynthia Laird, their Pembroke Welsh Corgi Darby, and cat Espresso.

LISTEN HERE: VOLUME 10

With Hosts: 

Summer C. Selleck

Ariel B. Lee

Sound Editing and Recording: Gilbert Leung

Music: Jonathan M. C. Jordan

Recording At: Alameda County District Attorney Office 

Suzette Z. Torres is Vice President/Regional Counsel of North American Title Company, Inc.’s (“North American Title”). She provides legal and escrow advisory support to North American Title’s branches throughout the Western Region which includes California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Her duties include handling compliance and employment issues, providing underwriting guidance, and advising on commercial transactions. Prior to joining North American, Ms. Torres worked for another national underwriter, first as VP/Trial Counsel, and later transitioned to VP/Underwriting Counsel. When she was in private practice, she rose up to partnership at her firm (Bardellini, Straw, Cavin & Bupp LLP) and became the only minority, female, equity partner. Her practice included resolving title and escrow claims, negotiating business disputes, managing contract negotiations, trials and handling several adversary proceedings in bankruptcy. Suzette served as the District 4 Governor of the California Women's Lawyer's Association (the largest women's bar association statewide) and was the Chair of the In House Counsel Network. She is an active member and former Co-Chair of the In-House Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, a member of the Filipino Bar Association-Northern California, and a member of the San Francisco and East Bay Chapters of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women).  She has been rated AV Preeminent® by her peers, the highest rating given by Martindale-Hubble®, and was selected as an honoree for the 2018 National Women in Law (Collaborative Leadership Category).

LISTEN HERE: VOLUME 9

With Hosts: 

Summer C. Selleck

Ariel B. Lee

Sound Editing and Recording: Gilbert Leung

Music: Jonathan M. C. Jordan

Recording At: Alameda County District Attorney Office 

District Attorney Diana Becton has spent most of her professional career as a judge, lawyer, and manager. On September 17, 2017, she was sworn in as the 25th District Attorney for the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Becton served for 22 years as a judge in Contra Costa County, where she was elected as Presiding Judge.

Her top priority is keeping the streets of Contra Costa County safe from dangerous and violent criminals. District Attorney Becton is committed to safeguarding our communities from crimes that threaten our health, well-being, and livelihood, protecting our seniors from financial abuse, and for working on positive outcomes for our youth.

District Attorney Becton is the Immediate Past President of the National Association of Women Judges, the nation’s leading voice for women in the judiciary. She currently serves as the Chair of the California State Bar Council on Access and Fairness.

A native of California she is a product of Oakland public schools and a graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law. Most recently, District Attorney Becton earned a Masters of Theological Studies at Pacific School of Religion (2015).

District Attorney Becton leads a prosecutorial office of approximately 200 lawyers, investigators, and staff. She is the first woman and the first African-American to serve as Contra Costa County District Attorney since the office was established in 1850.

LISTEN HERE: VOLUME 8

With Hosts: 

Summer C. Selleck

Ariel B. Lee

Sound Editing and Recording: Gilbert Leung

Music: Jonathan M. C. Jordan

Recording At: Alameda County District Attorney Office 

Judge Tara Flanagan serves as a Judge of the Superior Court of California in the County of Alameda. 

Judge Flanagan earned a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Northridge and earned her law degree from Southwestern Law School in 1998. 

Before going to law school, Judge Flanagan lived in England pursuing her rugby career. She was selected to the US Women's Rugby National Team. She and her teammates went on to win the Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991. The USA Eagles followed their impressive 1991 victory with a second-place finish in the 1994 World Cup. Judge Flanagan is a member of the USA Rugby Hall of Fame. 

As her rugby career came to a close, Judge Flanagan enrolled in Law School. Attending law school at night while working full time, she distinguished herself at Southwestern, becoming class president and named to the Moot Court Honors Program, where she later served on the Honors Board of Directors.

After graduation, Judge Flanagan’s law career started at a large litigation firm in Orange County; from there, she joined the Los Angeles District Attorney's office where she served as Deputy District Attorney. During her first year at the D.A.'s office, her hard work and skill earned her recognition and honors as an "Outstanding Domestic Violence Prosecutor."

In 2004, Judge Flanagan began practicing family law. As a legal aid attorney, she represented domestic violence survivors and their children. She fought for restraining orders and financial support to ensure that the victims had the security to move forward with their lives. Later, Judge Flanagan was the managing Attorney of the Self-Help Center of the Superior Court, and Family Law Facilitator. She later opened her own practice and continued to protect victims of domestic violence.

In 2012 Judge Flanagan won election for a seat on the Alameda County Court. Her seat was challenged in 2018 and she won that election as well.  Since joining the bench, she has continued to be an active voice in our community, serving on various boards and volunteering her time.

LISTEN HERE: VOLUME 7

With Hosts: 

Summer C. Selleck

Ariel B. Lee

Sound Editing and Recording: Gilbert Leung

Music: Jonathan M. C. Jordan

Recording At: Alameda County District Attorney Office 

Renne is a lawyer, former

Supervisor and one-time City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco,

California. 

She is

a graduate of both Michigan State University and Columbia Law School (1961).

Ms.

Renne was appointed Supervisor by

Mayor Dianne Feinstein in 1978. She acted as member of the San Francisco

Board of Supervisors for 8 years from 1978 to 1986, where she was chair of the

Finance Committee.

She

was then appointed by Feinstein as City Attorney in 1986 and became the first

female City Attorney in San Francisco history. She served in the position until

2001. In this role, she argued on behalf of the state before the California and

United States Supreme Courts.

She

had her own private practice for 2 years and was a staff attorney in the

general counsel’s office at the Federal Communications Commission for 3 years.

Ms.

Renne served as General Counsel for the San Francisco Unified School District

where she led the effort to combat corruption existing at the time and

establish a legal department.

She

also served as City Attorney for the City of Richmond.

She

currently works at  Renne Sloan Holtzman & Sakai LLP in San Francisco,

which is a public law firm.

She

was a founder and former California Women Lawyers President from 1977-1978.

LISTEN HERE: Volume 4

With Hosts: 

Summer C. Selleck

Ariel B. Lee

Sound Editing and Recording: Gilbert Leung

Music: Jonathan M. C. Jordan

Recording At: Alameda County District Attorney Office 

The Walt Disney Company consists of much more than just “The Happiest Place on Earth,” and Marjorie Randolph’s 15 years there revolved around Walt Disney Studios, where she was senior vice president of human resources and administration. That’s a lot of happiness to manage: live action and animated movies (including much-loved Pixar and Miramax films), music associated with the movies, the home entertainment division, and live stage shows like Disney on Ice. Prior to her work at Disney, Randolph, who is now retired, served as senior vice president and general counsel of the department store chain Mervyn’s.

Just like Disneyland on a hot day with long lines and tired children, human resources work isn’t always all smiles. But Randolph knows the value of one, even when the job gets tough. “During intense legal negotiations, I realized how important it is to read a room, understand how critically important nonverbal communication is, and understand how humor can help bridge an adversarial situation,” she explains.

https://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/OurAlumni/Profiles/Randolph._Marjorie.html

LISTEN HERE: Volume 3 Marge Randolph

Summer C. Selleck

Ariel B. Lee

Sound Editing and Recording: Gilbert Leung

Music: Jonathan M. C. Jordan

Recording At: Alameda County District Attorney Office