With 30 years of experience in labor,
employment, and education law, Mary Dowell has an extensive background
in the successful resolution of many employment and education-related
issues. Her primary area of expertise is representing and advising
community college districts in a general counsel role, specifically in
education, labor and employment-related matters.
Prior to joining
Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, Mary served as General Counsel for the Los
Angeles Community College District. In that capacity, she facilitated
the first successful assertion in the federal courts of Eleventh
Amendment immunity for schools and colleges accused of civil rights
violations, which provides a critical shield for cash-strapped public
entities. At the beginning of her career, Mary worked with the Public
Employment Relations Board (PERB), and was later involved in statewide
task forces on early implementation of the Educational Employment
Relations Act and on revisions to the Education Code regarding community
colleges. Currently she provides updated model policies and procedures
on behalf of the Community College League of California.
In the course of her
law practice, Mary has tried cases before state and federal trial and
appellate courts, PERB, and various state and federal administrative
agencies. She has represented clients in cases involving labor
relations, employment discrimination and employee discipline, as well as
in cases involving education law, free speech rights, student issues,
and general public agency property and business issues. She has
particularly concentrated on representing school and community college
districts in regard to issues as diverse as the process used to close a
school, the right to offer adult education, international education
issues, “distance learning,” student discipline and other
student-related legal matters, a variety of crucial constitutional
issues and personnel procedures including faculty discipline and
terminations.
Mary is also an expert
teacher. Early in her career, she worked as an adjunct faculty member
in the Pepperdine University community college doctoral program. She
has lectured before various professional organizations for many years.
She frequently presents workshops on employment and education law
subjects.
Mary was
chosen as a 2006 Southern California SuperLawyer!
Mary was chosen as a 2007
Southern California SuperLawyer!
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