James Ferg-Cadima Email & Phone Number

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Washington, Dc

Management:➤ Coordinated operations for more than 30 attorneys and ten paraprofessionals at a cross-country legal defense fund➤ Co-authored an overhauled organizational recruitment and interview process centered on equitable practices➤ Designed systems/structures to promote the alignment of staffing and resource allocation with strategic priorities➤ Co-developed a tech-enabled performance review tool rooted in developmental growth and dialogue➤ Established a restorative justice program to resolve internal tensions as well as piloted a dis-enrollment program➤ Supported development and execution of department-wide work while modeling inclusive leadership and collaboration➤ Supervised four attorneys staffing a national help desk to provide education and resources to more than 5,000 callers annuallyLegal Operations:➤ Worked with two other deputies to screen and select which litigation matters received organizational approval to proceed➤ Reconciled professional conduct and mission-aligned aspects of multi-state legal practices while serving as de facto General Counsel: - Provided de-conflicted ethics advice; finalized common interest, co-counseling, and professional service agreements; pre-cleared legal services advertisements; resolved “hot” documents; and returned client property- Defended and resolved staff grievances consistent with the applicable bargaining unit contract and labor/employment law- Drove legally acceptable, business-forward, and risk-reduction solutions with senior leaders of finance, communications, development, and human resources; executive leaders; union leadership; and the DEI committee➤ Responded to physical and electronic security threats (e.g., doxing) with remediation responses across the organization➤ Implemented an anonymous-reporting platform (Navex) for employees to report workplace misconduct and fraud➤ Redirected a $750,000+ investment in new IT architecture for the national help desk into an open RFP process (underway)

Chicago, Il

➤ Appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to head a state agency reformed by SB 20 (2018) with a $2 million annual budget➤ Ensured Commission was an impartial forum for resolving complaints, including a sizable tradition of self-represented litigants, under the Illinois Human Rights Act, affording protections based on:- race; color; religion; sex; national origin; ancestry; military status; age; order of protection status; marital status; sexual orientation (including gender-related identity); unfavorable military discharge; and disability➤ Adjudicated sufficiency-of-investigation disputes, post-trial decisions, and complex legal matters concerning discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in Illinois tied to employment, financial credit, public accommodations, real estate transactions, and limited education matters➤ Oversaw public meetings and affairs of six other commissioners and managed agency operations of a 25-member staff➤ Maintained a 95% success rate of sustained decisions for those decisions appealed to the Illinois appellate courts➤ Completed SB 20 reforms including case backlog earlier than required under law and pivoted to other modernizations➤ Instituted organizational change management in the areas of structure, technology, and staff without grievances or claims➤ dopted emergency rules and embraced technology-enabled access to legal proceedings in response to the pandemic➤ Assisted Governor’s Office find replacements for two commissioners who passed and anew Chair to replace me

Chicago, Il

➤ Provided specialized counsel to the newly established Public Safety Section with new oversight powers➤ Advanced audit, review, and performance evaluation topics; internal controls; and data initiatives in the wake of community outcry for the law enforcement killing of Laquan McDonald➤ Developed guidance on issues of first impression and enabling powers resulting from 2016 municipal law changes affecting local law enforcement agencies, including the second-largest local police department in the nation➤ Applied extensive knowledge of law enforcement, criminal procedure, and civil rights issues to provide legal counsel➤ Identified legal risks for management, prepared mitigation strategies, and framed auditor questions posed to police➤ Represented OIG with city stakeholders, external governmental partners/agencies, and the public➤ Facilitated community listening sessions on the South, West, and North Sides of Chicago

Washington, Dc

➤ Served as a principal advisor on complex issues and regulatory/policy matters related to discrimination and civil rights at public K-12 schools (including charter schools) and post-secondary institutions in receipt of federal financial assistance, prohibited by:- Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (race, color, and national origin); Title IX of the Education Amendments Act (sex and gender); and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of Americans with Disabilities Act (disability)➤ Directed Program Legal Group, composed of two directors and 40 staff including attorneys, IT staff, and statisticians➤ Oversaw policy formulation, development, and announcements to the public and more than 500 investigative staff concerning OCR-headed complaint investigations and compliance reviews in all states, DC, and the territories➤ Developed and clarified policy, legal standards, guidelines, and proposed regulations for civil rights compliance, including then-brewing topics such as:- Ebola and measles outbreaks; rights of English learner students; Title IX coordinators; transgender students (repealed on 2/22/2017); students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; use of race in college admissions after Fisher II; racial discrimination in special education; students with disabilities in charter schools; and discriminatory use of restraint and seclusion➤ Released the 2013-2014 Civil Rights Data Collection, a biennial data collection from every public school in the nation➤ Coordinated OCR’s responses to pre-trial subpoenas and other requests in third-party litigation disputes➤ Developed toolkits for the White House on supporting undocumented students from preschool to college➤ Provided resources on student enrollment for sponsors of unaccompanied minors released from federal custody➤ Worked with ED management to select a 5-year telephonic language assistance line contract for help in 170 languages

➤ Headed a regional office charged with engaging the federal Executive and Legislative Branches and initiating impact litigation in the Mid-Atlantic (4th Cir.) and Southeast (11th Cir.) in education, employment, immigration, and voting➤ Supervised a staff of seven, including five attorneys, one legal fellow, and one paralegal➤ Authored and approved federal legislative and amendment proposals, regulatory comments, congressional testimony, amicus briefs, investigative memoranda, litigation memoranda (to initiate the filing of a suit), and other attorney work products➤ Coordinated and approved the office’s legal and legislative strategy consistent with organizational priorities such as: - comprehensive immigration reform (responded to 189 of the 300 amendments prior to the Senate Judiciary Committee markup of a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill, S. 744 (2013);- passage of the DREAM Act of 2010, H.R. 5281 (2010), in the House of Representatives by a 216-198 roll call); and - post-secondary opportunities for beneficiaries of Plyler v. Doe (1982) (co-authored a 2011 amicus brief to the Florida Supreme Court against barring an undocumented law school graduate from admission to law practice (Case No. SC 11-2568), including a novel Contracts Clause violation argument)➤ Studied under a management coach for nearly three years, paid by the Haas Jr. Fund➤ Selected and co-led the Education Task Force of the Leadership Conference of Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 200 civil rights organizations; and the Immigration Committee and the Membership Committee of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 37 national Latino organizations from across the country and political spectrum➤ Elected co-chair of the Governing Board of the Campaign for High School Equity, a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation initiative housed at the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

Chicago, Illinois, United States

➤ Authored, in whole or in part, and advanced successful changes to Illinois law such as:- amendments to the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003 (SB 1467 (2007) (legislative-fix to Alexander v. Sandoval (2001) improving a mini-Title VI statute with disparate impact in the statute, adding sex as a new protected class, and allowing catalyst fees);- civil unions law for same-sex couples (originally HB 1826 (2008), then SB 1716 (2010) (version enacted)); and- first-in-the-nation Biometric Information Privacy Act (SB 2400 (2008)) (basis of litigation against Facebook and Google)

➤ Senior Attorney Advisor – ED, OCR (transition team to Trump Administration), Washington, DC – Winter 2017➤ Adjunct Law Professor– American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, DC – Fall 2015➤ Law Clerk – Northern District of Illinois, US Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez, Chicago, IL – 2005 to 2006➤ Interim Regional Counsel –MALDEF, Washington, DC – 2004 to 2005➤ Legislative Staff Attorney/Policy Analyst –MALDEF, Washington, DC – 2002 to 2005➤ Fellow – Advancement Project, Washington, DC – 2001 to 2002

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Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Psychology And Communications With Minors In Black Studies And American Studies