MCLE Self-Study: THE EEOC’S ENDURING CIVIL RIGHTS LEGACY: ADDRESSING WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND BEYOND

California Labor & Employment Law Review Official Publication of the California Lawyers Association Labor and Employment Law Section

By Anna Y. Park and Nakkisa Akhavan

Anna Park is the Regional Attorney for the Los Angeles District Office of the EEOC which covers Central and Southern California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the territories in the Pacific including Wake Island, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. She is in charge of all litigation on behalf of the EEOC in her district and has brought groundbreaking and influential cases on behalf of the Commission for the past two decades. Co-author Nakkisa Akhavan is a Supervisory Trial Attorney for the EEOC. She has extensive experience litigating employment discrimination cases in federal courts including the Global Horizon, Prestige, and JPL cases. The authors thank Natalie Nardecchia, Senior Trial Attorney, for her assistance with this article. The authors can be reached at info@eeoc.gov or (800) 669-4000.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established by enactment of the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 to enforce laws prohibiting employment discrimination. The agency plays a vital role in both investigating complaints of discrimination under federal law and litigating in the public interest. As we reflect on the advancement of civil rights protections in employment, we also acknowledge the ever-evolving manifestation of discrimination in the workplace. This has been particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic.