Candidate for
Superior Court Judge; County of Los Angeles; Office 111

BIO OF STELLA OWENS-MURRELL, ESQ.

Stella L. Owens-Murrell is a native of New York City. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Hunter College (Lehman Campus), City University of New York in 1970. Before her graduation from Hunter College, she attended The American University, Washington D.C. from September 1968 to January 1969 and Harvard University, Cambridge Massachusetts from January 1969 to June 1969 as a Washington Semester Fellow in Political Science. Ms. Murrell attended the University of Notre Dame, School of Law in Notre Dame Indiana from August 1970 to May of 1973 where she received her Juris Doctor Degree.

Ms. Murrell is a civil litigator. She has devoted her legal career to developing an expertise in the field of labor and civil rights litigation. While in private practice she litigated several employment discrimination cases. In July 1988, Ms. Murrell was lead trial attorney in the U.S. District Court case of Young vs. Von's Grocery Company where the plaintiff was awarded a $12.2 million jury verdict, the highest verdict for a single plaintiff in a race discrimination case of its time. Ms. Murrell published articles in 1990 and 1991 for the Minority Employment Journal on civil rights act reform.

Ms. Murrell is a member of the California Bar and is also admitted to practice in the U. S. District Court for the Central and Eastern Districts and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ms. Murrell currently serves as a Senior Trial Counsel to the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations where she represents the State in various civil matters.

Ms. Murrell has served on various State, local and civic organizations among them are the California State Bar Committee on Women in the Law, where she served as Chair from September 2001- August 2002 and Vice Chair from September 2000- September 2001. She is also a member of the National Association of Women Lawyers and California Women Lawyers; a past member of Black Women Lawyers and the American Bar Association. She is a member of the Antelope Valley Human Relations Task force, where she serves as its Legal Advisor and the NAACP. She has also served in the past on the boards of various organizations and is the recipient of numerous awards.

Ms. Murrell has also provided legal services to the First Missionary Baptist Church where she gives pro bono advice and counsel to members of the congregation and to the Antelope Valley community. She is a 13-year resident of Palmdale and she is married to Minister Emmett B. Murrell. She has 3 stepchildren and 5 grandchildren.