Shelley Kaufman specializes in the areas of Civil Rights and Employment law. Because of her personal commitment to the protection of civil rights and equal access to the legal system, she brings a unique perspective to our firm's work in protecting the civil liberties that are the foundation of our democratic society. Ms. Kaufman has successfully represented numerous clients fighting for their rights in both State and Federal Court. She has succeeded in establishing the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers, exposing false arrests and proving discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. Ms. Kaufman has been a defender of free speech battling first amendment issues in Federal Court.

Ms. Kaufman, as attorney of record, has two federal court published opinions, protecting victims' rights. (Fontana v. Haskin, 262 F.3d 871 (9th Cir. 2001) in which the court determined that a police officer who sexually harasses an arrestee violates her rights and Rodriguez v. City of Los Angeles, 768 F. Supp. 718 (C.D. Cal. 1991) in which the court determined that attorneys who represents civil rights victims fight an uphill battle and should be paid in accordance with the effort required to produce justice for victims.

Ms. Kaufman has been an invited lecturer at colleges in the community, regarding employment law, and a panelist at seminars focusing on issues in the workplace.

Ms. Kaufman received her B.A. from Pitzer College in Claremont, California and her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law, in Los Angeles, California after completing Southwestern's two-year accelerated program. Ms. Kaufman was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1981 and is also a member of the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Southern and Northern Districts of California.