Students are talking about the Workers’ Rights Clinic and class (KGACLC 463 Workers’ Rights Interviewing and Advising, Professor Ruth Silver Taube). Here is what they are saying:
“I can say without question the best thing I have done at Santa Clara Law is take the interviewing and advising class [KGACLC 463] at the Katharine and George clinic. I learned a ton about employment law and administrative hearings. I was able to help real clients with real problems. I was given the chance to meet and network with lawyers from various firms and gained internship opportunities. And I had fun (I go every Tuesday even though I’m not a student in the class anymore, as do a number of other students and lawyers).”
-Sam Kesten, 3L
“The class was incredibly informative and comprehensive as well as practical and useful.”
-Colby Lavelle, 2L
“The Worker’s Rights Clinic exposed me to a new area of law and a wide variety of work-related problems, including denial of wages, discrimination, unemployment benefits, harassment, and wrongful termination. The environment is extremely positive, and you receive a lot of support from attorneys in the field. Your time will be valued and greatly appreciated by the workers you meet. The investigation of a retaliation claim filed at the state Labor Commission was professionally valuable and personally rewarding. I am thankful for this opportunity. I recommend this class to other law students.”
-Lani Ho, 2L
“The Workers’ Rights Clinic was one of the most useful, if not the most useful, class that I took at Santa Clara. You will be glad you took this class!”
-Allison Aamenta 3L
If you are still trying to sort out your class schedule for spring semester, please consider signing up for KGACLC 463 Workers’ Rights Clinic and Class. KGACLC 463 is a 2 unit graded Clinic and class that is offered in the fall, spring, and summer semester and fulfills the Professional Skills Requirement. This class is a great opportunity for those of you who are interested in employment law, who wish to gain practical experience in a clinical setting, and who would like to network with local volunteer employment law attorneys from the private bar and government agencies who provide internship opportunities and possible employment. The same class is offered at Boalt and Hastings, and the employment law manual is such a valuable resource that practicing attorneys continue to consult it throughout their career.
The Workers’ Rights Clinic (KGACLC 463) has entered into an exciting new partnership with the Labor Commission. Workers’ Rights (KGACLC 463) students stand in the shoes of the Labor Commission and investigate retaliation claims filed with the agency; interview employers, employees, and witnesses; draft declarations and reports; and prepare cause and no cause findings. You even have an opportunity to conduct a mediation to settle the case.
Even if you don’t plan to practice employment law, this area of law is still incredibly important since we all work, and it is critical to know your rights in the workplace. Employment law also overlaps with many other areas of law. By the end of the Clinic and class, you should be able to spot virtually all the issues in an employment law hypothetical, and you will be familiar with pleadings in employment law cases. You will also meet speakers from agencies like the EEOC and the Labor Commission. Finally, you will make a difference in the lives of low income clients which is very fulfilling.
The class meets on Tuesday from 6-9 PM and on Thursday from 6-8 PM. There are 9 Tuesday Clinics and 6 Thursday classes. Students provide advice to low income clients regarding problems in the workplace such as wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, unpaid wages, and failure to pay overtime. You will also receive 13.5 hours of instruction in the Fundamentals of Employment Law class that covers wage and hour law, wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, leave acts, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, state disability insurance, ERISA, privacy, workplace immigration, and union issues
If you are interested in signing up for the Clinic but still have some questions, please feel free to contact me at rsilvertaube@scu.edu or 408-737-2313.
Ruth Silver Taube
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After graduating from law school, Ruth Silver Taube clerked for the Honorable Ronald M. Whyte, District Court Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose. She is currently a partner in the law firm of Silver & Taube where she litigated employment cases and now specializes in ERISA litigation. She was formerly an Associate Attorney at the law firm of Cotchett, Illston & Pitre.
She has worked for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the San Francisco District Office as a Federal Mediator where she mediated employment law disputes and conducted technical assistance training programs, and she was on the mediation roster of the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division for Americans with Disabilities Act cases. She has mediated over 500 cases involving employment disputes.
She is a member of the California Employment Law Attorneys’ Association, an Executive Committee Member and Legal Services Chair of the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking, and a founding member of the Bay Area Equal Pay Collaborative.
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