Gay Crosthwait Grunfeld

U.S. District Judge Morris C. England issued a summary judgment ruling last September for Grunfeld's client, William Sassman, opening up California's previously female-only Alternative Custody Program to men.

A landmark victory for prisoner advocates, the practical effect forced the Brown administration to reimagine a key alternative sentencing program.

"The Sassman ruling advances two important goals I care about: reducing incarceration and advancing women's equality through shared responsibility for children," Grunfeld said.

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation ACP program was created to let some nonviolent female offenders get early release to take care of their children. Grunfeld successfully argued that the program fostered the myth fathers could not care for children and mothers must bear the responsibility of child care. Sassman v. Brown, 99 F. Supp. 3d 1223 (E.D. Cal. Sept. 15, 2015).

Added Grunfeld, "It is only possible to have equality when everyone has the opportunity to get involved in care giving."

The state opened the program for men in April with Sassman as the first enrollee.

Grunfeld is also taking on wage-and-hour class actions, including a proposed $3.65 million settlement with ULTA beauty stores over overtime pay. Quinby v. Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc., CV15-4099 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 9, 2015). The plaintiffs' lawyer argued that ULTA is able to turn a profit on the backs of managers who are misclassified as exempt from overtime, though they perform similar tasks to the workers they ostensibly supervise.

Grunfeld said that her employment practice has recently focused on "smaller employers who essentially skirt laws," including lack of overtime pay and missing wages.

— Matthew Blake