Pepperdine Law Student Lavinia Osilesi (JD '19) Published in WLALA Newsletter
August 7, 2018 | An article by rising 3L Lavinia Osilesi titled "Combating Decades of Gender-Based Discrimination in the Workplace with Legislation," has been published in the most recent Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) newsletter. The article considers the passage, constitutionality, and opposition of California Senate Bill 826 which "seeks to increase the efficiency of corporations in California and promote a fair and equitable workplace for individuals in California."
Excerpt from the WLALA:
Striving for gender equality in the workplace is an all too new initiative in America's history. In fact, many laws that have limited women's employment opportunities were perpetuated by this nation's highest Court. For example, the Supreme Court has previously upheld laws that placed limitations on the hours that women could work by making it illegal for women to work in restaurants at night and making it illegal for women to work more than 10 hours in a laundromat. This gender-based discrimination has had lasting effects on the placement of women in the workplace and specifically, in the upper echelons of companies.
Senator Hannah Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) authored California Senate Bill 826 ("SB 826"), which should increase the profitability and productivity of corporations in California while promoting a fair and equitable work environment that fosters opportunities for qualified candidates.
The full article may be found here.
Lavinia recently worked as a summer associate with Reed Smith LLP and has accepted an offer to return to the firm after graduation. She has previously served as a judicial extern for the US District Court for the Central District of California. At Pepperdine Law, Lavinia is an associate editor on Law Review, an Oralist with the Interschool Moot Court, member of the Black Law Students Organization, member of the Women's Legal Association, research assistant to Professor Caldwell, and a teaching assistant for Straus Legal Research and Writing.