With almost 40 years of experience in labor, employment, and education law, Mary Dowell has assisted clients in a myriad of employment and education-related issues. Her primary area of expertise is representing and advising community college districts in a general counsel role, specifically in education, labor and employment-related matters.
In the course of her law practice, Mary has tried cases before state and federal trial and appellate courts, PERB, and various state and federal administrative agencies. She has represented clients in cases involving labor relations, employment discrimination and employee discipline, as well as in cases involving education law, free speech rights, student issues, and general public agency property and business issues. She has particularly concentrated on representing school and community college districts in regard to issues as diverse as the process used to close a school, the right to offer adult education, international education issues, “distance learning,” student discipline and other student-related legal matters, a variety of crucial constitutional issues and personnel procedures including faculty discipline and terminations.
Prior to joining Liebert Cassidy Whitmore in 1987, Mary served as General Counsel for the Los Angeles Community College District. In that capacity, she facilitated the first successful assertion in the federal courts of Eleventh Amendment immunity for schools and colleges accused of civil rights violations, which provides a critical shield for cash-strapped public entities. At the beginning of her career, Mary worked with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), and was later involved in statewide task forces on early implementation of the Educational Employment Relations Act and on revisions to the Education Code regarding community colleges.
She has reviewed many real estate documents, has drafted and/or reviewed leases and lease-purchase agreements (both ground leases and building leases), advised on Field Act issues, reviewed joint use and joint occupancy agreements, and drafted agreements between agencies under Education Code Section 17485. She has also assisted in the development of Joint Powers Authorities. She has litigated the right of districts to declare themselves exempt from local zoning ordinances.
Mary is also an expert teacher. Early in her career, she worked as an adjunct faculty member in the Pepperdine University community college doctoral program. She has lectured before various professional organizations for many years. She frequently presents workshops on employment and education law subjects.
