Lieff Cabraser and Equal Rights Advocates (“ERA”) announce the creation of the Joy Kruse Gender Justice Memorial Fund. Joy was an active supporter of ERA, a San Francisco-based non-profit devoted to expanding economic and educational opportunities for women and girls. The fund, created in Joy’s memory, reflects Joy’s passion for social justice. Joy Kruse passed away on May 22, 2018, after a hard-fought battle with cancer. She leaves a community that loved her deeply, a legacy of impressive legal accomplishments, and the communities she served (including through Equal Rights Advocates) much stronger because of her dedication and leadership.

ERA has included a beautiful tribute to Joy on its website, along with links to make memorial donations in Joy’s name if you would like to do so. Lieff Cabraser has made a founding grant in memory of Joy.

Joy was a graduate of Wellesley College (Phi Beta Kappa) and Harvard Law School who spent eight of her first eleven years of practice as a public defender. She began her career at the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C., and later as a federal public defender in San Jose, California, where she tried countless cases on behalf of impoverished defendants. In between those jobs, she moved west for private practice with Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati. After her second stint as a public defender, she spent four years in private practice with Topal and Goodman, specializing in white collar defense and serving by appointment of the Northern District to represent indigent criminal defendants at trial.

She spent the last 17 years of her distinguished career as a partner and senior leader at Lieff Cabraser, where she litigated class, group, and individual actions on behalf of consumers, investors, and employees. At Lieff Cabraser, Joy also led by example in the area of pro bono civil rights representation, including on behalf of prisoners at Pelican Bay State Prison, who challenged the inhumane use of solitary confinement and unconstitutional policy of gang validation. Joy’s substantial success and high regard in the legal community earned her numerous accolades.

About Equal Rights Advocates

ERA’s spotlight areas include protecting women and girls from sexual violence at school and work; employment advocacy for women in low-wage jobs, especially women of color; and workplace protections for pregnant women, working parents, and women with healthcare responsibilities for dependent adults or children. ERA has been an active partner in the national coalition of women’s organizations targeting sexual predators through the #metoo movement and Times Up initiative, with ERA dedicated to highlighting the epidemic of sexual violence against female janitors. Joy served on ERA’s Board of Directors and Litigation Committee from 2010 to 2016, during which time ERA leaned on Joy for invaluable guidance in ERA’s gender justice programs, including ERA’s impact litigation protecting the rights of women in low-wage industries.

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