M. Lorena Gonzalez, Esq. Email & Phone Number

Seattle, Washington, United States

Providing strategic counsel to a cross-departmental, integrated advocacy team on multiple, complex constitutional and civil liberties issues within local and state government in the areas of reproductive and gender-affirming health care, sentencing reform, conditions of incarceration, drug policy, youth policy, privacy, policing, and health care access for immigrants. Monitor and manage the day-to-day implementation, development, and success of ACLU-WA’s legislative program, including… Show more Providing strategic counsel to a cross-departmental, integrated advocacy team on multiple, complex constitutional and civil liberties issues within local and state government in the areas of reproductive and gender-affirming health care, sentencing reform, conditions of incarceration, drug policy, youth policy, privacy, policing, and health care access for immigrants. Monitor and manage the day-to-day implementation, development, and success of ACLU-WA’s legislative program, including supervising an in-house lobbyist and contract lobbyist. Maintain and develop strategic relationships with government decision makers and across coalition spaces to inform and advance ACLU-WA’s legislative program. Show less

Seattle, Washington, United States

Provided strategic counsel to social justice nonprofits, labor unions and others on various legislative policies, political and organizing campaigns and legal matters. Advised executive staff, board members and management staff on various issues, including workforce development, national and local funding opportunities, and litigation strategies and management. Developing multi-year strategies and action plans related to complex policy areas, such as housing, homelessness and public safety… Show more Provided strategic counsel to social justice nonprofits, labor unions and others on various legislative policies, political and organizing campaigns and legal matters. Advised executive staff, board members and management staff on various issues, including workforce development, national and local funding opportunities, and litigation strategies and management. Developing multi-year strategies and action plans related to complex policy areas, such as housing, homelessness and public safety. Training and advising executive nonprofit leadership on crisis management and communications for various interested and impacted parties, including staff. Show less

Seattle, Washington

Developed, researched and directed legislative, policy and budget priorities for my office within a nine-member legislative body on a variety of municipal issues. Led policy development of dozens of policies that are now law, including: Seattle’s secure scheduling law, hotel worker protections, local election reform, creation of a legal defense fund for immigrants, pandemic eviction protections for tenants, establishing pandemic hazard pay for essential workers, pandemic relief for small… Show more Developed, researched and directed legislative, policy and budget priorities for my office within a nine-member legislative body on a variety of municipal issues. Led policy development of dozens of policies that are now law, including: Seattle’s secure scheduling law, hotel worker protections, local election reform, creation of a legal defense fund for immigrants, pandemic eviction protections for tenants, establishing pandemic hazard pay for essential workers, pandemic relief for small businesses, expansion of early learning and universal pre-k programs, permanent funding for free community college for public school students, oversight of surveillance technology acquisitions, architect of historic police reform legislation, reduction of police budget to fund alternatives to law enforcement, including gun violence and gender-based violence prevention. See Summary of Legislative Accomplishments linked below.As Council President, gained significant executive experience. Served as the head of the Legislative Branch (135 full-time equivalents) and managed the City Council’s daily operations during a historic global public health crisis, including setting personnel policies, managing human resource matters, and developing and managing the Legislative Branch’s yearly budget. Worked with the City Council’s governing majority to develop the Council’s legislative and policy priorities and managed media communications strategy and relationships with the Mayor’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, federal, state and regional elected officials, policy makers, labor unions, industry partners and community leaders. Show less

Seattle, Wa

Member of Mayor’s Executive Management Team providing the Mayor and his cabinet general legal, strategic and political counsel on the Mayor’s legislative and policy priorities, regulatory compliance, and compliance with ethics and elections laws. Served as liaison to the Office of Labor Standards and Finance & Administrative Services, ensuring citywide implementation of the city’s labor standards, including the newly implemented $15 an hour minimum wage, anti-wage theft law and prevailing wage… Show more Member of Mayor’s Executive Management Team providing the Mayor and his cabinet general legal, strategic and political counsel on the Mayor’s legislative and policy priorities, regulatory compliance, and compliance with ethics and elections laws. Served as liaison to the Office of Labor Standards and Finance & Administrative Services, ensuring citywide implementation of the city’s labor standards, including the newly implemented $15 an hour minimum wage, anti-wage theft law and prevailing wage program. Served as a mayoral delegate on the City’s Labor Relations Policy Committee, where over 150 collective bargaining agreements are negotiated. Served as liaison to the City Attorney’s Office and advised the Mayor on issues related to the Consent Decree in the US v. City of Seattle litigation federally mandating reform of the Seattle Police Department. Led policy development and implementation for several now enacted, city ordinances including on topics of: marijuana legalization, gender pay equity, paid family leave, transportation app companies, and all-gender restroom policies. Show less

Greater Seattle Area

Litigated all stages of plaintiff’s complex civil rights, employment, wage and hour class actions sexual assault and personal injury cases in federal and state court, including legal research, jury and bench trials, briefs, motion practice, oral arguments, discovery, depositions, mediations, arbitrations and appeals in federal and state court.

Tacoma, Washington

Litigated all stages of plaintiff's complex civil rights, employment discrimination, medical malpractice and personal injury cases, including motions practice, discovery, mediations, arbitration and settlement conferences in federal and state court.

Juris Doctor, Law

Activities and Societies: Latina/o Law Student Association - 2003-2004; Latina/o Bar Association of Washington (Law Student Liaison).

Bachelor Of Arts, Business Administration And Management, General

Associate'S Degree, General Studies

High School Diploma