Overview
Georgelle Cuevas is experienced in counseling and representing public and private sector employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including discrimination/harassment, wrongful termination, disability, reasonable accommodation, wage and hour requirements, leave requirements, discipline and dismissal. She has significant experience conducting thorough and effective investigations concerning workplace issues and student complaints. She regularly assists school districts, county offices of education, and community colleges in navigating the requirements of the Education Code, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, the Brown Act, and other state and federal laws. She has represented employers in multi-day administrative hearings.
In addition to being a licensed attorney, Ms. Cuevas is also a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Ms. Cuevas gained experience in employment law, retirement, education and civil rights at previous firms. Her prior experience also includes internships with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board.
During her LL.M. program, Ms. Cuevas served as the Associate Editor of the Berkeley Journal of International Law (BJIL). During law school, Ms. Cuevas served as the Vice-President of External Affairs for the Moot Court Honors Society. In addition, she won a CALI award for receiving the highest grade in her Immigration Law class.
Ms. Cuevas is a popular and highly requested speaker. She regularly provides training throughout the nation on a variety of subjects of interest to K-12 school districts, community colleges, universities, governing boards, and other management teams.
Honors & Recognitions
Ms. Cuevas has been named a Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers every year since 2022.
Practice Areas
News & Publications
Firm News
Events & Speaking Engagements
Ms. Cuevas regularly provides training addressing subjects that impact the workplace, the educational setting, and collective bargaining. She provides training on the FRISK® model for preparing effective documentation regarding employee substandard performance or conduct; leadership and communication skills; conducting investigations in the educational and workplace environments; conflict resolution; Brown Act compliance, and state-mandated sexual harassment training. She also lectures at webinars and conferences for local, statewide, and national organizations such as ACCCA, ACSA, ACHRO, CASBO, CISOA, CSBA, NSBA, and WACUBO.
Some of the many sessions she has led include:
- Title IX Academy (i.e. Training for the whole Title IX team, including Title IX Coordinators, Investigators, Decision Makers, and Appeals Officers)
- Addressing Complaints: Are Your Investigations Legally Compliant?
- FRISK® Academy (i.e. FRISK® Documentation Model, Framing the FRISK® Message, and the Advanced FRISK® Documentation Model)
- Leaves Boot Camp (i.e. Managing and Understanding Leaves, Making the Interactive Process a Success, and Employee Absenteeism: Managing Attendance Issues)
- Recognizing and Preventing Sexual Harassment and Abusive Conduct
- Employee Evaluations, Common Pitfalls and Best Practices
- Student Discipline 101
- Contract Negotiations (e.g. Negotiating in Times of Economic Uncertainty, Improving the Labor Relationship at and Away from the Table, Close Up on Contract Language, Classified Layoffs and Contract Language)
- Public Records Act: How to Comply Following City of San Jose
- Records and Security Issues (e.g. Confidentiality, Records Retention, Data Breach, GPS and Employers/Schools, Campus Security in the 21st Century)
- Managing and Understanding Millennials and Gen-Zers
Alerts & Articles
Publications
Ms. Cuevas is a contributor to the firm’s education publications and blog.
"Proposed Law Would Curb Smartphone Use in Classrooms", Daily Journal, May 28, 2019.
Blog Posts
Community Involvement
Community & Professional
Ms. Cuevas volunteered as an attorney coach of the Amador Valley High School Mock Trial Team for the 2018-2019 competition season. She previously served as an attorney scorer for Contra Costa County's moot court and mock trial programs for high school students from 2012-2015.
Education
LL.M, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
J.D., University of Akron School of Law
M.S.M., University of Akron, College of Business Administration
B.F.A., Kent State University
Admissions
- 2012, California
2012, Florida
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Courts, Eastern and Northern Districts of California