Donna M. Melby

Since 2012, Melby been waging a major nationwide battle on behalf of a large corporation facing breach of contract, conspiracy and hostile work environment claims, totaling 23 cases in all. Twenty-two have since wrapped, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied review on a case in April, leaving just one cause of action in the final case to be tried in the Northern District of California later this year.

As part of the sprawling litigation, Melby appeared in five different states.

“It was extraordinarily good to get to see many jurists across the country in action, to see so many different sets of counsel and to see how the courts across the country really do handle matters capably and differently depending on upon the jurisdiction,” she said.

The Eastern District of Virginia really does live up to its reputation as having a fast-moving “rocket docket,” she added with a laugh.

Handling the disparate moving parts required managing a large team, many of whom were junior lawyers. Melby said the experience sparked a passion for mentoring young attorneys and helping them launch their careers.

“Working with so many talented, more junior lawyers was also a highlight, and it’s something that I really love to do,” she said. “If I can do anything to help the career of a more junior lawyer in any way, it’s my privilege to do that.”

Outside of her work at Paul Hastings LLP, Melby is also active in serving the judicial community, something she started early in her career and has continued ever since. She is vice-chair of the American College of Trial Lawyers’ Judiciary Committee. She also received the Warren Burger honor for her service from the National Center for States Courts in 2016 and completed a term on the California Judicial Council.

She’s particularly concerned with underfunding of the courts, she said.

“I’ve dedicated as much time as I can to helping the third co-equal branch” of government, Melby said. “It’s an opportunity to give back because we all spend so much time in the system and because the administration of justice is at the heart of a critical to the democracy that we live in.”

— Erin Lee