Gabriela D. Flowers is a Partner in Lozano Smith's Sacramento office and is co-chair of the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group. Ms. Flowers also specializes in the Student and Litigation aspects of education law. Ms. Flowers routinely assists clients through both Certificated and Classified discipline and dismissal procedures, as well as defending unfair labor practice charges. Her Labor & Employment practice also includes grievance processing, contract interpretation, labor negotiations, employee leaves and responding to claims of discrimination filed with the DFEH, EEOC and DIR.
Ms. Flowers supports administrators and boards with matters concerning conflicts of interest, the Brown Act and the Public Records Act. In addition, she gives presentations on a variety of topics, including conflicts of interest, Form 700, the Brown Act and Board Governance.
Additional Experience
Prior to joining Lozano Smith, Ms. Flowers worked as an attorney at a public entity law firm, where she gained experience in labor and employment issues facing school districts and county offices of education, including: employee discipline, collective bargaining, contract interpretation, grievance processing and unfair labor practices. Ms. Flowers also has experience in a variety of matters that affect the provision of public education, including: governance and litigation.
Education
Ms. Flowers earned her J.D. from University of California at Davis in 2010 and was recognized as a Public Service Law Program scholar. She received her B.A. in English from Santa Clara University (cum laude) and her B.S. in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy from Santa Clara University (cum laude), both in 2007. Ms. Flowers has received certification through ATIXA as a participant in Level 1 and Level 3 ATIXA Civil Rights Investigator Trainings.
Host Sloan Simmons joins partners and Lozano Smith Labor and Employment Co-Practice Group Leaders Michelle Cannon and Gabriela Flowers to discuss several important school district labor and employment deadlines that all fall on March 15. This brief but information packed episode includes discussion on various types of release from employment as well as layoffs. Additionally, this year, for the first time ever, classified layoffs are subject to the same deadline.
Host Sloan Simmons talks with Lozano Smith partners Michelle Cannon and Gabriela Flowers, co-chairs of the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group, about important new labor and employment laws passed in 2019 and how they will impact public agency employers in the new year. Topics covered include employment classifications, probationary periods for classified public school employees, new lactation accommodation requirements, settlement agreements with employees, and expansion of anti-discrimination laws, among others. This a must listen as we head into the new year, as most of these new laws become effective January 1, 2020, and may require changes to agency policies.
