Irvine, CA, February 16, 2022 - In honor of Black History Month, Tressler attorneys partnered with the Black Law Students Association at the University of California, Irvine School of Law (UCI Law) for a dynamic program. Tressler's entire Employment Practice Group in Orange County joined a group of UCI Law students from a diverse range of affinity groups for an engaging discussion.
Experienced Tressler attorneys, Bicvan Brown, Judy Chiang, Karl Schlecht, Jihoon Kim and Cayla Whitley, enjoyed sharing stories about their career paths and life at a law firm. The attorneys answered questions, expressing support for the UCI Law students.
“I really enjoyed attending the panel and I could tell the students did, too," said Beth Maoui, Assistant Director of Career Development, Private Sector at UCI Law. "I loved so much of the panel’s advice, including the discussion of entertainment law vs. employment litigation, and the strong encouragement for networking. I wish all of the law students could have heard this presentation!”
UCI Law provides an innovative and comprehensive curriculum, prioritizing public service and a commitment to diversity within the legal profession. Forty-six percent of UCI Law’s graduates are students of color. UCI Law students have completed more than 125,000 hours of pro bono work in the past decade. The collaborative and interdisciplinary community at UCI Law includes extraordinary students, world-renowned faculty, dedicated staff, engaged alumni and enthusiastic supporters. Click here to learn more about UCI Law.
Tressler's Diversity & Inclusion Committee creates insightful programming and supports both local and national organizations. The firm recently made a donation to the Thurgood Marshall Bar Association and is highlighting Black-owned businesses throughout Black History Month. Tressler attorneys are known for their community engagement and award-winning legal services.
Tressler's 2022 Black History Month Leader:
Cayla Whitley is a member of Tressler's national Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She is an associate in Tressler’s Labor & Employment Practice Group in our Orange County, California office. Cayla primarily handles employment and litigation matters and she provides management-side labor and employment litigation defense to a broad range of clients. While in law school, Cayla participated in Moot Court and interned at companies such as Forever 21, Lionsgate and Sundance Institute. She enjoys pro bono work that specifically helps children and participated in programs such as: Saturday Academy of Law, Educations Rights Project and ACLU Orange County: Juvenile Detention Chemical Restraints. In addition, Cayla was the Co-President of the Women’s Law Society, Co-President of the Entertainment Law Society and the Co-Fundraising Chair of the Public Interest Law Fund. Cayla Whitley can be reached at cwhitley@tresslerllp.com.
Chair of Tressler's Diversity & Inclusion Committee:
Bicvan Brown is a partner and Chair of Tressler's Employment Group as well as Chair of the national Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She focuses her practice in all aspects of employment matters, including employment trials, arbitrations and mediations. Bicvan defends employers while providing advice and counsel against claims such as wage and hour (individual and class actions), PAGA, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and whistleblowing. She defends employers before state and federal agencies such as the EEOC, NLRB, California Labor Commission and California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. She is fluent in Vietnamese and Spanish and she provides advice about as well as translates workplace policies, employee handbooks and agreements. She regularly speaks at seminars, including sexual harassment prevention training conducted in Vietnamese, with the purpose of helping employers and their insurers regarding best practices to minimize risk in California. Bicvan Brown can be reached at bbrown@tresslerllp.com.
