Candidate for
Member, Board of Education; Long Beach Unified School District; District 4

EDUCATION

I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA in 1964, with High Honors and as a Phi Beta Kappa, and then went on to UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law. I received my J.D in 1967, graduating with honors. During law school I spent a summer in 1965 in Little Rock, Arkansas, working with a civil rights lawyer as an assistant in the enforcement of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Later I worked for a professor of constitutional law, assisting him in editing what was then and remains today the leading constitutional law casebook.

EXPERIENCE

I started my career as a lawyer working in a firm that represented unions and workers in all aspects of labor-management relations. In 1975 I joined two other attorneys as a founding partner of our own firm. I continued in that capacity until 2007 when I retired from my law practice to work as a full time mediator and arbitrator. I had been working as an arbitrator while I was with my firm, but I felt my true calling was in helping parties in conflict resolve their disputes, rather than being an advocate. A large part of my law practice was devoted to representing, counseling and advising teachers at all levels, including Headstart instructors, K-12 teachers, community college and state university faculty. Over a period of 32 years I met with and counseled thousands of teachers on issues ranging from credentials, discipline, academic freedom, salary, assignments, and relationships with the school administration. I dealt with school districts in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Long Beach Unified School District. From that experience I developed a great respect for teachers and an understanding of the difficulties they face in trying to do their work. In the course of my work, I encountered school administrations and boards of education that were often unreasonable and unwilling to cooperate in solving problems in a manner that would work to the benefit of all concerned, especially the students. I also had the pleasure of working with school administrations and boards that recognized the importance of resolving problems so that there were no winners and losers. It was clear to me that teacher morale and their sense of commitment to their work was greatest in school districts where the school boards and administration recognized the value of cooperative problem solving, where the teachers felt that they had a voice in the decision-making process.

HONORS

I have been listed in the book, "Best Lawyers in America", since the first edition in 1987. I am proud of that designation because the basis for inclusion in the book is that adversaries, in my case the lawyers who represent private employers, school districts, and other governmental agencies, reported that if they had a family member with a problem which required a lawyer who represented employees or unions, they would refer them to me. I also was elected as a Fellow of the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers. The criteria for election to this highest honor in my area of practice include maintaining the highest ethical standards, contributing in a positive manner to the law profession, working with adversaries in a collegial and courteous manner, and, of course, providing the very best legal representation to your clients.

ORGANIZATIONS

I was a founding member and past president of the Orange County Industrial Relations Research Association, an organization devoted to promoting communication and cooperation between labor and management advocates. I have been a member of the American Bar Association throughout my career, and have been a co-chair of a committee of the ABA's Labor & Employment Law Section. I am a mediator and arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, and a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Southern California Mediation Association, and the California Employment Lawyers Association. I am currently doing volunteer work as a mediator in the Los Angeles Suprerior courts. I was appointed to the panel of Hearing Officers, Arbitrators and Mediators for the Los Angeles County Civil Service and Employee Relations Commissions. I am also on the arbitration panel of the California State Mediation and Conciliation Service.

PROFESSIONAL LICENSES I am a member of the State Bar of California [Bar # 40742], and have been admitted to practice in the Central, Northern and Southern U.S. District Courts of California; the Ninth and District of Columbia Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.