About

Marleen Sacks has over 25 years of experience in education and labor law, specializing in workplace investigations, employee discipline, student rights and litigation related to employment, civil rights and education matters. She successfully prosecutes and negotiates the dismissal of public employees, and represents public employers in a variety of forums, including the Public Employment Relations Board, OAH, as well as in grievance arbitrations. She also represents individual students and employees facing disciplinary action.

Ms. Sacks is an accomplished litigator, representing clients in state and federal courts, as well as in the California Court of Appeal. (See e.g., Helena F. v. West Contra Costa Unified School District (1996) 49 Cal. App. 4th 1793; Governing Board of Ripon Unified School District v. Commission on Professional Competence (2009) 177 Cal. App. 4th 1379). Her litigation background has helped her hone her investigation skills, in terms of being able to know what questions to ask, how to ask them, how to assess witness credibility, and how to analyze complicated situations, as well as advising employers regarding potential liability and recommended next steps.

She was previously a partner with Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Pleasanton prior to starting her own firm. She has previously served as a board member for the Lighthouse Community Charter School in Oakland, California, and as a mock trial coach for high school students at College Park High School in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. She is a member of the legal network for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a national nonprofit dedicated to defending student and faculty First Amendment and due process rights. She is also a member of the First Amendment Coalition, a California non-profit supporting free speech, transparent and accountable government, and the Heterodox Academy. She has been approved for the workplace investigator panel by the American Arbitration Association, is a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators and is ATIXA certified.

Ms. Sacks graduated with highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa, from UC Davis with a degree in International Relations. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley School of Law (Boalt), and was admitted to the California State Bar in 1992.