Karla Gilbride

American attorney and civil rights litigator
Karla Gilbride
General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 23, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded bySharon Fast Gustafson
Personal details
EducationSwarthmore College (BA)
Georgetown University (JD)

Karla Gilbride is an American attorney and civil rights litigator currently serving as the General Counsel U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).[1][2] Gilbride is the first individual with a known disability to serve as the General Counsel of the EEOC, and holds the distinction of being the first blind lawyer to argue before the Supreme Court.[3]

Advocacy

Gilbride argued Morgan v. Sundance before the Supreme Court of the United States successfully with the court ruling in Gilbride's client's favor 9–0, overruling the Eighth Circuit.[4][5] Slate Magazine described Gilbride's performance as “one of those rare arguments in which you can hear an advocate changing the court's mind in real time.”[6]

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Nomination and tenure

On January 3, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his nomination of Gilbride to fill the chief legal post at the EEOC, a post which had been vacant for the prior 22-months following Biden's removal of Trump-appointed Sharon Gustafson.[7][8] The Senate confirmed Gilbride by a vote of 50–46 on October 17.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Senate Confirms Gilbride for Long-Vacant EEOC Top Lawyer Role". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  2. ^ Wiessner, Daniel (2022-06-03). "Biden taps lawyer known for arbitration cases for top EEOC post". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  3. ^ "Litigator Filling EEOC's Long-Vacant General Counsel Post Will Be First Blind Person in Role". Corporate Counsel. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  4. ^ "Morgan v. Sundance, Inc., 596 U.S. ___ (2022)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  5. ^ Stern, Mark Joseph (2022-05-24). "SCOTUS Just Handed Workers Who Sue Their Employers a Surprising, Unanimous Win". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  6. ^ Stern, Mark Joseph (2022-05-24). "SCOTUS Just Handed Workers Who Sue Their Employers a Surprising, Unanimous Win". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  7. ^ Restuccia, Andrew (2021-03-05). "Biden Fires EEOC's Trump-Appointed General Counsel". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  8. ^ "Karla Gilbride Sworn In as EEOC General Counsel". US EEOC. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  9. ^ "Litigator Filling EEOC's Long-Vacant General Counsel Post Will Be First Blind Person in Role". Corporate Counsel. Retrieved 2023-11-21.