Attorneys at Law · Albany, California
Using the law to create a better life for the people of California.
"We can have all the laws and guarantees we want written on paper, but none of them really mean anything unless they are put into practice. And that gap between what is on paper and what is in practice happens to be a big one in our country."— Goodwin Liu, Associate Justice, California Supreme Court
At Driscoll & Omens, our mission is to provide superior quality legal services to individuals interested in protecting the public from corporate and government violations of law. Thanks to our nuanced, experienced, and committed approach to the practice of law, we make a positive impact on the daily lives of many people.
Our small practice brings large firm experience to the public, usually at no cost to the client. We look for ways to make justice accessible and attainable for more people in more places.
To provide expert legal representation and balance the scales for clients fighting the government and large corporations.
We think creatively and provide first class legal services whose quality matches or exceeds that of even the largest defense firms.
Truthful government. Economic fairness. Do you have a concern we can help with?
Founded in 1983, Driscoll & Omens has extensive experience with class actions and other complex litigation matters.
Founded in 1983, Driscoll & Omens has extensive experience with class actions and other complex litigation matters. Call us at (510) 527-4500 to learn more.
In 1963, Martin Luther King wrote from jail in Birmingham, Alabama, "I am in Birmingham because injustice is here." The unifying theme of my work is the belief that no one, no matter how large or powerful, should be above the law.
The cases I've brought run the gamut from the deeply personal to the public. Over the course of my career I have represented a female parolee in Oakland forced to provide urine samples while a male parole officer watched and a Native American denied promotion by a public university based on his race. I have brought successful actions against a drug company promoting a widely used drug through blatantly false claims regarding its effectiveness, and public school districts that fail to provide mandated physical education.
After many years as a lawyer, I went to Birmingham for a deposition in a case involving a company engaged in nationwide false advertising. The deposition did not match Martin Luther King's experience in its drama or importance, but it reminded me why I do the work I do.
In my spare time, I like to help students learn math and science. Tutoring provides a calm contrast to the conflicts of litigation.
I have almost 30 years of litigation experience. I spent the early part of my legal career, first as an associate then as a partner, in a high-profile law firm, representing large corporations in all facets of litigation. After a decade of corporate defense, I changed gears and joined forces with Donald Driscoll to form what is now Driscoll & Omens.
Together, we decided to use our combined skills and focus on public interest litigation including, most recently, advancing the rights of children in California public elementary schools to receive state-mandated physical education.
I am an accomplished writer and a skilled negotiator.
Hard work has given us opportunities to change the world for the better. Our lawsuits protect the rights of real people.
For over a decade our office has challenged public schools to provide the required physical education. A UC Berkeley researcher concluded that "litigation appears to be an effective accountability mechanism to increase compliance with law." When some of the largest districts in California lobbied the legislature to effectively eviscerate the physical education requirement, we joined the ACLU in protecting California's students — leaving the 200-minute requirement unchanged and requiring the California Department of Education to respond to compliance appeals within 60 days.
Wal-Mart charged men and women different rates for an oil change. Our office successfully represented over 2,000 men in a gender discrimination action.
An Albany High School student created an Instagram account and posted racially offensive material. Our client viewed the account but contributed none of the posted images. Our office represented him against the school district and established his First Amendment right to sign in to a chat group, even if some individuals posted offensive matters.
A major drug company sought FDA approval of a drug that did not work. Despite the FDA medical officer's recommendation against approval, politics prevailed. The company then heavily marketed the product with false claims about its efficacy. Our office successfully sued on behalf of individuals who had been misled by the company's false advertising.
We won a round in the California Supreme Court against stores selling cigarettes to minors — a forerunner to today's battles over flavored vaping products deliberately designed to appeal to young people.
Two California State Parole officers claimed immunity from damages for forcing a female parolee to provide a urine sample in front of a male parole officer. The court rejected the immunity claim and let our client's action proceed.
Barrington Hall, part of a student cooperative in Berkeley, was notorious in the 1980s for heroin use. The city council was aware of the problem yet refused to act and tried to block public access to information about the co-op's activities. Our efforts on behalf of concerned neighbors eventually led to the closing of the co-op.
Whether you're ready to get involved or you'd like to learn more about our firm, we'd like to hear from you.
Last updated July 2, 2019.
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