WorkLife Law is thrilled to announce the appointment of two new Advisory Board members.
Jocelyn Samuels has spent decades at the forefront of the fight for civil rights and workplace justice. A trailblazer across government and nonprofit sectors, Jocelyn most recently served as Vice Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), where she played a pivotal role in developing regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act—landmark legislation WorkLife Law relies on every day to seek justice for pregnant and lactating workers. President Trump illegally removed Jocelyn from her position before her term ended, a dismissal she is now challenging in federal court to protect the independence of the EEOC.
During the Obama Administration, Jocelyn served as Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice and as Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she developed groundbreaking regulations prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded healthcare.
Before joining the Obama Administration, Jocelyn served as Vice President for Education and Employment at the National Women’s Law Center, where she led the campaign that resulted in passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. She has also served as Executive Director of the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, advancing legal strategies for equality for sexual and gender minorities.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Advisory Board of WorkLife Law, a deeply impactful organization that addresses the pervasive barriers that continue to limit opportunities and economic self-sufficiency for pregnant people and family caregivers. The talented and committed leaders and staff of WorkLife Law have made enormous contributions to improving the lives of these communities, including through educating workers about how to vindicate their rights under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. I look forward to helping the organization as it continues to make progress in these challenging times.”
Throughout her extraordinary career spanning women’s rights, reproductive justice, disability rights, and LGBTQ+ equality, Jocelyn has been an architect of transformative policies advancing justice and equal opportunity. We are deeply honored to welcome a true civil rights champion to WorkLife Law’s team.
Carolin Guentert is a partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight LLP, one of the nation’s leading plaintiff-side employment and civil rights law firms. As Co-Managing Partner of the firm’s New York office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Sexual Violence, Title IX, and Victims’ Rights Practice Group, Carolin brings formidable expertise and strategic vision to complex civil rights matters.
Carolin represents workers facing discrimination and harassment, students experiencing Title IX violations, and survivors of sexual assault in their civil cases. Her work has included litigating proposed class actions against major corporations for pregnancy discrimination and gender-based harassment, representing graduate students in a landmark case against a university for its failure to address sexual harassment, and securing justice for workers across industries who have faced retaliation for caregiving responsibilities. She represents plaintiffs through all stages of litigation, before administrative agencies, and in pre-litigation settlement discussions.
A nationally recognized expert on legal protections for pregnant and caregiving workers and Title IX—expertise that aligns seamlessly with WorkLife Law’s mission—Carolin combines deep legal knowledge with unwavering commitment to those she serves.
“I am honored to be joining the Advisory Board of WorkLife Law, an organization that makes much of the work I do possible. As a lawyer who represents employees whose civil rights were violated, I see firsthand how life-upending it is to be fired for being pregnant, denied family leave, not given proper lactation accommodations, or discriminated against for being a caretaker of young children. I am so grateful for WorkLife Law’s legislative efforts, which have helped create and strengthen the laws that allow my clients and other workers to seek justice. I look forward to collaborating on our shared goal of creating workplace equity.”
Jocelyn and Carolin bring extraordinary experience, expertise, and wisdom to WorkLife Law’s Advisory Board. Their leadership will be instrumental in advancing our mission of ensuring all people have the freedom to build and maintain economic security through employment and educational opportunities, without having to sacrifice their health or their loved ones’ care. WorkLife Law is fortunate to have Jocelyn and Carolin’s expert insight informing our research and advocacy.