The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has just gotten a new hero to help victims of employment discrimination. Jenny R. Yang has just been sworn in as one of the new commissioners of the EEOC. Yang was nominated by President Barack Obama on August 2, 2012 and she was unanimously confirmed by the Senate last April 25th, 2013. Yang joins the EEOC’s Chair Jacqueline Berrien, Commissioners Constance Barker, Chai Feldblum, and Victoria Lipnic. Her appointment completes the five-member bipartisan Commission that is appointed by the president. She replaces Stuart Ishimaru and will be serving her post until July 1, 2017.
Who is Commissioner Jenny R. Yang?
Yang joined Cohen, Milstein, Sellers & Toll PLLC firm in 2003. She was a partner of the firm and has represented thousands of employees in a lot of complex civil rights and employment actions across the country. She also became the firm’s committee for hiring and diversity. Yang also has great experience in handling issues that employers face in making hiring as well as other personnel decisions.
Before she joined the firm of Cohen Milstein, Yang became one of the senior trial attorneys with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Employment Litigation Section. She enforced several federal laws that prohibits discrimination in employment by state and local government employers from 1998 to 2003. She has also worked at the National Employment Law Project that enforces the workplace rights of garment workers. Yang also worked as a clerk for the Honorable Edmund Ludwig on the U.S. District Court for Pennsylvania’s Eastern District.
Commissioner Yang also served as vice chair and board member of the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center, a nonprofit organization that gives legal assistance to Asian Pacific American and small business owners in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. She held that position for over five years.
She had her B.A. from Cornell University in government, received her J.D> from New York University School of Law. There, Yang became a note and comment editor of the law review and a Root-Tilden public interest scholar. One Los Angeles employment discrimination lawyer was delighted over Yang’s appointment as he believes that the former will be of great help to discriminated employees all around the country. Her tons of experience in handling positions concerning the plight of employees, along with all of her educational and work experience makes her more than qualified for her appointment as one of the EEOC’s new commissioners.