“ERA is thrilled to have Jennifer as our new Legal Director,” said Noreen Farrell, Executive Director of ERA. “She has spent her career advocating for under-represented individuals and communities in class and individual cases. She is a well-respected leader in the legal community on issues of social justice and economic justice for workers. Jennifer will no doubt bring that same passion and dedication to ERA’s mission on behalf of women and girls.”

Jennifer comes to ERA after more than seven years with the law firm of Talamantes Villegas Carrera, LLP, where her work made a significant positive impact on the lives of thousands of marginalized workers, including many women facing sexual harassment and other unfair treatment on the job in a variety of industries across the state. In addition to her litigation work, Jennifer serves as an Adjunct Professor at U.C. Hastings College of the Law, where she has been teaching since 2009. Jennifer is a graduate of Yale University and the University of California at Berkeley School of Law. She is fluent in both Spanish and French.

“I look forward to channeling the skills and substantive knowledge that I have acquired my career towards maintaining and expanding ERA’s leadership role in the struggle to ensure that all women and girls can participate as full equals at all levels of society,” said Jennifer. “I am honored to join the dedicated, hard-working staff of this amazing organization, which has been at the forefront of the fight to eradicate institutional barriers to women’s and girls’ success since its inception.”

Jennifer has extensive class and individual case experience, representing monolingual Spanish speakers, low-wage immigrant workers, and other marginalized workers in a variety of industries. She has focused on issues of discrimination, wage theft, and other institutionalized forms of inequality and exploitation, obtaining many significant settlements as well as important victories at trial.

Most recently as a member of Talamantes Villegas Carrera, Jennifer served as co-counsel to ERA in Bojorquez v. ABM, a case brought on behalf of a monolingual Latina janitorial worker who was sexually harassed and assaulted on the job, and then retaliated against after she complained. The team achieved an $812,000 jury verdict in the client’s favor in May of 2012.

Jennifer is a founding member of the CELA Immigrant Rights Committee and is currently the co-chair of the CELA Wage and Hour Committee. She has also volunteered for years as a supervising attorney with the Workers’ Rights Clinic of the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center. She is a member of the Diversity Committee of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association and on the Advisory Board of the East Bay Community Law Center. Jennifer is a frequent speaker and has authored and edited several litigation manuals, articles, and other materials concerning the employment-related civil rights of immigrants and low-wage workers.

Media Contact:
Noreen Farrell, Equal Rights Advocates
nfarrell@equalrights.org 415-621-0672 (office)
ERA has been championing the rights of women and girls across the country for nearly 40 years through its hallmark precedent-setting litigation, its legislative advocacy for women’s rights, and its operation of a national toll-free Advice & Counseling hotline, which receives thousands of calls annually from women and girls seeking legal assistance.

Farrell has been with ERA for eight years. Prior to serving as ERA’s Interim Executive Director for the past two months, Farrell was the director of ERA’s litigation and legal programs as Managing Attorney. She has led ERA’s efforts to address sex discrimination at schools and in a variety of industries through policy work, legislative reform, and impact litigation. Farrell’s vision has led to ERA’s development of robust campaigns to empower girls at school, working families, and marginalized women workers. Farrell has written extensively and lectured across the nation on class action issues, equal pay, family leave, caregiver discrimination, and other civil rights issues. She is a graduate of Yale University and the University of California Hastings College of Law.

Beth Parker, ERA’s Board Chair, says: “The Board is thrilled to have Noreen become the permanent Executive Director. She is passionate about ERA’s issues, deeply committed to the organization’s mission, and has worked tirelessly the last few months to assume a host of new responsibilities. We are confident that she will be able to lead ERA as it continues its ground breaking legal work for women and girls.”

Farrell has focused ERA’s employment discrimination practice on the most marginalized of women workers facing sexual harassment and unfair treatment – from retail workers in Dukes v. Wal-Mart to restaurant workers in Donaldson v. Lori’s Diner to janitorial workers in Bojorquez v. ABM. She obtained a multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of casino workers subjected to sexual harassment and wage and hour violations. Most recently, Farrell secured a landmark trial win in a Title IX case against the University of California on behalf of women wrestlers seeking equal sports opportunities, which resulted in a $1.35 million settlement. Farrell also obtained significant injunctive relief through settlement for a related class of student athletes.

Farrell has been a leader committed to providing free legal services to the most needy. She has invigorated ERA’s provision free legal advice and counseling to thousands of workers and students each year through ERA’s free national Advice & Counseling hotline. Under her leadership, ERA is developing a wrap-around legal services clinic providing various services for immigrant women workers who have been sexually harassed or assaulted at work. She has focused ERA’s efforts on providing prompt interventions for pregnant workers facing unfair treatment at work and is collaborating with national policy makers to improve federal law protections. Farrell also takes seriously the important role ERA plays in training the next generation of advocates, having mentored hundreds of law clerks and lawyers throughout her career.

According to Farrell: “I am honored to take the helm of ERA. This organization has been impacting change for the better across the country for nearly four decades. Its strength lies in our talented staff, committed board, fearless co-counsel and colleagues, and most importantly, the women and girls we all serve. I look forward to continuing our pursuit of social justice and thank the community for its incredible support of ERA’s work.”

About ERA

Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), founded in 1974, is a national civil rights organization dedicated to protecting and expanding economic and educational access and opportunities for women and girls. Through its campaign approach—incorporating public education, legislative advocacy, and litigation—ERA seeks to assist women and girls throughout a life-long continuum: ensuring equality in their educational experience, combating sex discrimination in the workforce, and advocating for workplaces hospitable to working families. To learn more about ERA’s work, visit www.equalrights.org.

Farrell has been with ERA for eight years, and is currently the director of ERA’s litigation and legal programs as Managing Attorney. She has led ERA’s efforts to address sex discrimination at schools and in a variety of industries through policy work, legislative reform, and impact litigation. Farrell’s vision has led to the development of robust campaigns to empower girls at school, working families, and marginalized women workers. Farrell has written extensively and lectured across the nation on equal pay, family leave, caregiver discrimination, and other civil rights issues. She is a graduate of Yale University and the University of California Hastings College of Law.

Board of Directors Chair Beth H. Parker and Farrell thanked Hurtado for her hard work elevating ERA’s mission of advancing equal opportunity for women and girls through impact litigation and advocacy since joining the staff two years ago. Farrell hailed Hurtado as a “tireless advocate for the disenfranchised and a leader who will be sorely missed by staff.”

According to Parker, “While we will miss working with Arcelia on a daily basis, we are extremely confident that the organization is in good hands with Noreen, who has been responsible for directing ERA’s legal program. Noreen is highly respected by staff and the legal community. She is committed to ERA and passionate about its mission. The Board unanimously concluded she is the right person to lead ERA as we consider the best course for a permanent Executive Director.”

Hurtado, who will be available to assist Farrell with the transition over the next few weeks, noted that “this was an extremely difficult decision, but I am confident that ERA is in excellent shape with Noreen at the helm. Joining NCLR will allow me to continue my work on behalf of marginalized communities across the country.”

Farrell has focused ERA’s employment discrimination practice on the most marginalized women workers facing sexual harassment and unfair treatment, from retail workers in Dukes v. Wal-Mart to restaurant workers in Donaldson v. Lori’s Diner to janitorial workers in Bojorquez v. ABM. She obtained a multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of casino workers subjected to sexual harassment and wage and hour violations. Most recently, Farrell secured a landmark trial win in a Title IX case against the University of California on behalf of women wrestlers seeking equal sports opportunities, as well as significant injunctive relief through settlement for a related class of student athletes.

According to Farrell, “I am honored to serve as interim Executive Director at an organization that is impacting change for the better across the country. I look forward to continuing to pursue justice for women and girls as ERA has done for the last 38 years.”

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About ERA
Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), founded in 1974, is a national civil rights organization dedicated to protecting and expanding economic and educational access and opportunities for women and girls. Through its campaign approach—incorporating public education, legislative advocacy, and litigation—ERA seeks to assist women and girls throughout a life-long continuum: ensuring equality in their educational experience, combating sex discrimination in the workforce, and advocating for workplaces hospitable to working families. To learn more about ERA’s work, visit www.equalrights.org.