Melanie Proctor has two decades of litigation experience in state and federal courts. As an Assistant Chief Counsel at California’s statutorily independent civil rights agency, she led and personally worked on a range of cases, including cases brought on behalf of:
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• a group/class of female employees and contractors at a video game company that resolved allegations of systemic sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation ($118 million consent decree);

• a female farm worker who was sexually harassed and assaulted by a supervisor ($750,000 settlement);

• a female intern at a venture capital partnership who was sexually harassed by a co-founder ($1.8 million settlement); and

• disabled residents in rental housing ($100,000 settlement).

 
Melanie started her legal career in the U.S. Department of Justice, through the Honors Program. After two years as an attorney advisor at the Immigration Court in San Francisco, she worked as a civil Assistant U.S. Attorney, first in the Southern District of California and then in the Northern District of California. In that capacity, Melanie litigated a broad range of civil cases, defending and prosecuting cases on behalf of the United States and its agencies. Representative cases include investigation of alleged violations of the False Claims Act, civil rights issues, challenges to Freedom of Information Act decisions, employment discrimination, a variety of administrative law matters, and contract disputes.
 
She also served as the coordinator for civil rights cases in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the N.D. California, coordinating with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure civil rights matters were staffed and investigated in the District. Melanie’s civil rights work on behalf of the United States included litigation and settlement of a landmark consent decree that resolved allegations the Law School Admissions Council engaged in widespread and systemic discrimination against test takers with disabilities.

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Admissions:

California State Bar

Northern District of California

Eastern District of California

 

Honors:

Certificate of Commendation, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Nov. 2014 and Dec. 2017
Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Exceptional Public Service, May 2000

Melanie is also a professional genealogist and director of a local community garden.