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Education

JD, University of California, Hastings College of Law

BA, University of California, Los Angeles

Did You Know

Leighton bought a one-way ticket from LA to New York City when she was 22. She lasted for two years.

Police Officer v. City (2019) Hearing officer upheld the termination of a former police officer who prepared multiple false police reports. The police officer’s performance during a single incident led LCW to recommend an audit of other cases.  That audit, in turn, revealed additional cases and a pattern of fabricating subject confessions.

Employee v. Authority (2019) – Represented Authority as first-chair in hearing before Personnel Hearing Board, which upheld the termination of an employee who received a DUI while on call and lost his driving privileges.

Police Officer v. City (2015) – Represented city as first-chair in hearing before Personnel Hearing Board, which upheld the suspension of a police officer for failure to comply with Departmental orders.

Edinger v. City of Westminster (2016)– Federal district court granted the motion to dismiss with prejudice, resulting in two individual defendants being dismissed from the lawsuit.

County of Los Angeles v. Mendez (2017) – Prepared amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court behalf of the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association. The Court decided to eliminate the “provocation doctrine,” which provided that an officer’s otherwise reasonable use of force could still be a basis for civil liability in some circumstances. As discussed in the amicus brief, that legal doctrine was difficult for police agencies to administer in training officers on the appropriate use of force. With the elimination of the provocation doctrine, the exclusive test for determining if an officer’s use of force complies with the Fourth Amendment is whether the force is objectively reasonable under the totality of the circumstances.

Employee Suspension and Termination (2019) – Prevailed in the consolidated appeal of an employee who was suspended for insubordination and later terminated for threats of physical violence.

Employee Termination (2015) – Represented city as first-chair in hearing before arbitrator, who upheld termination of code enforcement officer for dishonesty and failure to perform job duties.

Public Safety Video Briefing: Quick Tips For Conducting Effective IA Interviews- July 2022
07/25/2022
California Public Agency Labor & Employment Blog

Our short Public Safety Video Briefings will tackle cutting-edge issues and core principles relevant to public safety employers. We hope you find these videos useful and thought-provoking.

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Leadership That Bolsters Employee Retention Requires Promptly Investigation Reports of Incivility
05/04/2022
HR News

In 2013, the Harvard Business Review posited that rudeness in the workplace was “rampant” and “on the rise.” Now, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and in the midst of widespread political polarization, the workplace of 2013 seems downright quaint in comparison.
People have always disagreed...

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Public Safety Video Briefing: Five Greatest Impacts of SB 2 – November 2021
11/13/2021
California Public Agency Labor & Employment Blog

We are excited to announce a new video series designed especially to serve our public safety clients. Our short Public Safety Video Briefings will tackle cutting-edge issues and core principles relevant to public safety employers. We hope you find these videos useful and thought-provoking.

This...

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