Micha Star Liberty

Liberty has spent her career at the intersection of politics, sex and the law.

“All of my professional work has been spent helping folks who have been harmed because of power disparities based on gender,” said the owner of Liberty Law Office in Oakland.

Appropriately, Liberty was close to one of the biggest political sex scandals in American history, though she didn’t know it at the time. She was an intern in the Bill Clinton White House in 1995, and slightly knew another intern named Monica Lewinsky.

Liberty said she was reminded of this when she read the recent Vanity Fair article about Lewinsky.

“She was saying #MeToo movement provided some comfort even after all these years,” she said. “That is one of the most tragic things, victims of sexual assault and harassment feel like they are the only one and they really suffer in silence.”

Liberty has been an outspoken critic of the Legislature’s handling of sexual harassment cases. She also sued the California Senate and a recently resigned Senator Tony Mendoza on behalf of his former Legislative Director Adriana Ruelas, who claims she was fired for reporting the Mendoza’s harassment of a young female intern. Ruelas v. California State Senate, 00230185 (Sacramento Super. Ct., filed April 3, 2018).

But it’s not just politicians. Liberty also has sexual assault and abuse cases pending against the Catholic Church with Doe v. Hanna Boys Center Inc., 261296 (Sonoma Super. Ct., filed Sept. 19, 2017), a former San Francisco 49er with J.V. v. Hayne, 320764 (Santa Clara Super. Ct., filed Dec. 19, 2017), and a school district with Brennon B. v. West Contra Costa Unified School District, 01005 (Contra Costa Super. Ct., filed July 5, 2016).

She has won numerous awards for her work, including the 2015 Streetfighter of the Year Award from the Consumer Attorneys of California. The group recognized her work representing a child sexual abuse victim against the Contra Costa County School District.

“Honestly, my goal is to put myself out of business, if it means I can help end survivors’ suffering,” Liberty said.

— Malcolm Maclachlan