Hon. Mario G. Olmos Law & Cultural Diversity Memorial Lecture: “Courageous Lawyering in Times of Authoritarianism” Panel Discussion

What does it mean to be a courageous lawyer in an age of rising authoritarianism?

Join us for the first event in our new series, Courageous Conversations, as we tackle this critical question. Our panel of distinguished speakers will discuss the challenges and responsibilities of upholding justice and the rule of law in a changing world. The panel will be moderated by Savala Nolan, Executive Director of the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice.

RSVP HERE

Speaker Bios

Seema N. Patel, Associate Professor of Law, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco

Seema N. Patel is an expert on the intersection of technology, labor, and economic justice. Her research and teaching focus on how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and algorithmic surveillance are reshaping the workplace, particularly for low-wage and precarious workers.

Before joining UC Law SF, Professor Patel held several public leadership roles, including Deputy Director of the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement. She has also worked as a trial and appellate attorney for the U.S. Department of Labor and served as a Senior Advisor to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She previously directed the East Bay Community Law Center at UC Berkeley School of Law, where she led clinical programs in housing and employment.

A graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law, Professor Patel’s work is grounded in “movement lawyering” and a commitment to building power with communities historically marginalized by the legal system. She has been recognized with numerous fellowships and awards for her scholarship and service.

Purvi Shah, Founder & Executive Director, Movement Law Lab

Purvi Shah is a movement lawyer, professor, and legal strategist with over 20 years of experience integrating law with social movements. In 2017, she founded Movement Law Lab to empower progressive movements with legal expertise.

Throughout her career, Purvi has established transformative legal networks, including Law For Black Lives, the Global Network of Movement Lawyers, and the Community Justice Project. She has trained and mentored thousands of lawyers, equipping them to collaborate with grassroots organizers to disrupt entrenched systems and put law into the hands of the people.

As a trusted advisor, she has worked with groups like the Movement for Black Lives, the Right to the City Alliance, and various tenant unions and immigrant rights groups. Her work has been recognized with fellowships from prestigious organizations such as Ashoka and Echoing Green. She holds a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law.

Greta S. Hansen, Chief Operating Officer, County of Santa Clara

Greta S. Hansen is the Chief Operating Officer for the County of Santa Clara, where she leads the development of litigation, programs, and policies to advance the well-being of the community. In this role, she oversees the county’s affirmative litigation team, which successfully challenged the Trump Administration’s rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and a nationwide ban on federal funding for “sanctuary jurisdictions.”

Hansen also served as lead public counsel in a landmark lawsuit, People v. Atlantic Richfield Co., which resulted in a $1.15 billion judgment for lead paint abatement. Before her tenure in local government, she worked for the ACLU of Northern California and clerked for Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Greta received her law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law and was honored with the New Leaders Council of Silicon Valley’s Trailblazer of the Year Award in 2016.