MESSAGE FROM THE LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW SECTION CHAIR

By Deborah Maddux

Deborah Maddux is the Senior Managing Partner of Van Dermyden Maddux Law Corporation. Deborah’s practice focuses on conducting and overseeing workplace investigations and conducting administrative hearings. Her background includes serving as in-house counsel to the University of California, counsel to the California FPPC, and litigation counsel. Deborah is the incoming Chair of the Labor & Employment Executive Committee.

I am honored to be stepping into Erich Shiners’ shoes to serve as the Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section for the coming year. Under his leadership, our Section has thrived. Indeed, I can say without a doubt (and with much pride) that our Section is the gold standard in terms of educational programs for our members. We are fortunate that when the pandemic hit and in-person conferences were cancelling right and left, we already had years of experience providing online CLE and OnDemand offerings—we were able to continue to deliver valuable professional education without skipping a beat. These same pre-existing resources have helped immensely as we have transitioned to virtual conferences. Take, for example, the recent Wage and Hour Conference, which drew as large of an audience as it has in previous years. Finally, our bi-monthly California Labor & Employment Law Review has continued to maintain its reputation for editorial excellence. Thank you, Erich, as well as all the other past and current Executive Committee members, CLA staff, speakers and volunteers who are responsible for this success.

It is somewhat of a tradition in this fall edition for the incoming Chair to share a little bit about their personal story and the path that led them to a career in the law. I am going to break with tradition and focus more on the enormous changes that have taken place over the past year, and how the Section will help its members in the year to come. (I look forward to introducing myself in a later edition when troubled waters have calmed.)