Empowering The Dream: Elizabeth L. Bradley Talks Storytelling, Diversity & Trailblazing

She fought against it with every fiber of her being. She said yes to every opportunity she thought would lead her away from the law; even began a career in the arts. But there was no escaping it. She had to find her own way there, but Elizabeth L. Bradley is a litigator – and a masterful one at that.

Bradley comes by it honestly. Her mother had the passion and the drive to become a lawyer when Bradley was a young girl. Back then, she looked at the law as a rival, competing for her mother’s attention. Now, she sees it as a pathway to a brighter future, an avenue for change and an opportunity to serve her community.

In 2005, the rivalry was put to rest when Bradley and her mother started a law firm together. A passion for justice was no longer something that separated the mother and daughter duo, but rather served to further bond them in an impactful way.

Her mother’s work ethic, drive and commitment to giving back inspired a young Bradley. “I do a lot of volunteer work now,” Bradley says, “and I really can attribute that to working with my mom growing up.”

Now a partner at Rosen Saba, the seasoned career litigator and trial attorney primarily focuses on professional malpractice and discrimination in the workplace. She won a seminal age-discrimination case for a group of minimum-wage waitresses at a diner, who were awarded $1M each in punitive damages. Bradley has leaned into the art of storytelling, both through the written word and oral arguments in court.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Bradley is driven by a deep passion for activism. She is VP of Diversity and Inclusion for the LA County Bar Association, is a trustee of the Mexican American Bar Association (MABA), was recently elected Chair of Judicial Endorsements for the newly formed Los Angeles County Unity Bar whose mission is to diversify the judiciary, and volunteers for countless other organizations. Her advocacy is not without an agenda – Bradley believes wholeheartedly in empowering underrepresented folks to dream big so that we may begin to see equality reflected back to us from the faces of those starting to inhabit seats at top-level tables.

Despite her initial apprehension, Bradley has etched out her own space in the law, dovetailing it with her innate and artistic sense of story. The quest to forge her own path has served to solidify Bradley as a fearless trailblazer, ever reaching behind to lend a hand to those that come after her. Her accomplishments have landed her a spot amongst the Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers from 2021 to 2024.

Lawdragon: Tell me about what brought you to the law.

Elizabeth Bradley: I came to a legal career kicking and screaming. I had a great role model in my mother. She came to law by accident. She went to apply to court reporting school and found out that going to UC Hastings would be less expensive – it was another world in the '70s. When I was in grade school, she started law school. I associated being a lawyer with not having my mom around.

LD: That makes sense.

EB: I’d like to say I always had a burning passion to be a lawyer, but I really didn't. I had started working at the firm in high school. I took a couple of years off after college to explore what I might want to do, and in the meantime, I was working at the firm and was really fortunate to learn a lot about the legal field, the practice of law and business in general.

LD: Wow, that’s quite a jump.

EB: My mother offered to send me to law school. I wasn't sure about it and I turned down her gracious offer, which I later regretted. But I really didn't want to succumb to the pressure. If I made the decision, I wanted it to be my decision. Of course, ultimately, years later I decided that I did want to pursue a career in the law.

I wasn't really planning on getting into litigation, but during law school, I clerked at the court of appeal for Justice Don Work. I was never one that was dying to be on stage or the center of attention, but I really loved the intellectual process of telling the client's story. My court of appeal experience persuaded me that practicing law was something that would really interest me. I sometimes say I missed my calling as an appellate lawyer, but I put the skills I learned at the court to good use in my litigation practice and have done as much appellate work as I can over the years. My favorite part of my career really is writing, even though I'm an oral advocate and I go to trial a lot – so much of what we do is decided on the papers.

LD: In terms of legal writing, what do you think is most important for people to understand?

EB: A lot of lawyers get so caught up in the technicality and the legalese that they forget that at the end of the day, it’s persuasion – it's storytelling. It's tempting to try to appear to be the smartest person in the room but that's not always the most effective approach. It's most important to be getting across your client's story and weaving that story into the facts and the law to make the most persuasive presentation possible.

LD: What was it like working with your mother early in your career?

EB: My mother was an incredible mentor and role model for me, even when I wasn't sure that I wanted to be a lawyer. Seeing her work ethic was powerful. She was a homemaker for so many years, but she found her passion in the law and had undying energy for her work. She volunteered for a million committees, and she was known for being a mentor to many. We're Latina, and she always had a mission to give back to the community and to help those who were coming after her. She always gave incredible opportunities to women and minority attorneys to become employed with the firm.

I was blessed to work with a lot of women who were coming up at different stages in their careers. In the early '90s, it was not as common to have many women in the profession, but in my little bubble, I had no reason to think that I couldn't accomplish or achieve what I set out to achieve. All of those women were role models to me. I saw their work and really learned the value of service. I do a lot of volunteer work now and I really can attribute that to working with my mom growing up.

LD: What other mentors did you have when you were starting out?

EB: Judge Yvette Palazuelos has been an important role model for me. She recently retired from the Los Angeles Superior Court. She's also Latina, and I had three jury trials with her, two with my mom. Not only was she a fantastic judge to appear before, but she is another person who has done so much to give back to her community. She has always been very encouraging of me and generously taken initiative proactively to mentor me. Mentors aren’t only for new lawyers; we all need them throughout our careers. Justice Helen Zukin is another role model who tirelessly lifts up others, including me, and really revolutionized and institutionalized statewide efforts to diversify California’s judiciary. Experiencing others voluntarily offering mentorship really taught me to not just sit around and wait for someone to ask me for help, but instead to look for opportunities where I can be of service to someone.

In the early '90s, it was not as common to have many women in the profession, but in my little bubble, I had no reason to think that I couldn't accomplish or achieve what I set out to achieve.

LD: What advice do you have for female lawyers coming up now?

EB: I think the most important thing is to seek out mentors, and it doesn't have to be just one. You might have one mentor for business development, and another mentor for community involvement or leadership. A lot of people are shy and hesitant to ask for help, and my advice is to do it anyway. Don't let fear stop you from picking up the phone or approaching someone and asking for 10 minutes of their time.

LD: Are there any cases that stand out as particularly memorable for you?

EB: It was 10 years ago now and it’s still my favorite case. We represented six minimum-wage, older waitresses at a family-diner-type restaurant who were all let go because the owner claimed that business was slow. However, while the waitresses were still working there, the owner's son was posting ads for new waitresses and holding interviews in the restaurant with lovely young ladies lined up, with photos in hand, because the ad said to bring a photograph to help expedite the process. Meanwhile, our clients – aged 50-70 – are seeing this parade of young, inexperienced waitresses being interviewed, hired and replacing them. So, we brought an age discrimination claim and we got a unanimous jury verdict of $5.7M, including $4M in punitive damages. It really was incredibly satisfying.

LD: Wow.

EB: I think the jury was really shocked at the brazenness of the restaurant owner. These women were of such high character, that the win itself was extremely valuable to them. It sent a message to this defendant and to the community, that they're not expendable. The legal system did them right.

LD: What an incredible case. Can you tell us what you’re working on now?

EB: Just today a settlement was finalized in a case I’ve been preparing for trial where my client, who is in her 80s, unfortunately lost her husband to dementia a few years back. Shortly before he died, they entrusted all of the proceeds of the sale of their primary residence to a group of defendants, including lawyers, who said they would be investing those monies and that this was an opportunity for them to defer taxes. We brought elder abuse, fiduciary duty and legal malpractice claims against these defendants who had a multitude of undisclosed self-interests and conflicts of interest. They structured the transaction so that the clients lost control of their money and were at the whim of the defendants’ investment strategies, while bearing all risk to their retirement funds. When we attempted to demand their money back, they initially refused, and then complied in part but later contended that they did not owe the clients duties under the law. I was very eager to go to trial in that matter, but am pleased that the case resolved to my client’s satisfaction and that she has closure What really brings me professional satisfaction is serving people who have been wronged and representing the underdog.

It sent a message to this defendant and to the community, that they're not expendable. The legal system did them right.

LD: How did you discover your love of working on the plaintiffs’ side?

EB: In most of my early career, I did business litigation, which I enjoyed. It's very intellectually satisfying, but I just wasn't feeling that kind of soul satisfaction that I wanted in my work.

My mom and I went into partnership together probably midway through my career and we had some great cases together, but when she retired I joined Rosen Saba, and Jim Rosen had some interesting legal malpractice and employment cases that I hadn't been exposed to in the past. I started working in both of those areas and immediately felt it was a great fit for me. I’ve since become certified as a specialist in legal malpractice by the State Bar of California. In my legal malpractice cases, most clients have lost faith in lawyers and the legal system. I take personal responsibility for restoring their faith in the system, win or lose.

LD: You’re midway through your work as VP of Diversity and Inclusion at the LA County Bar Association, right?

EB: Correct. I've served for many years as a member of the Diversity Section and I've been on the executive committee for a few years now. LACBA is one of a few bar associations that has a diversity officer on the executive committee. It has been rewarding taking on this role and discovering new and creative ways I can contribute. I'm also very active in the Mexican American Bar Association (MABA) as a trustee. I'm on many committees, and I think diversity in the legal profession is so critical, so that our communities feel represented. When they see people on the bench that reflect their own family and their own communities, they feel heard and seen and respected.

It’s challenging because we have very low numbers in most of the traditionally underrepresented groups. It takes great effort by so many in the community to encourage people in traditionally underrepresented communities to pursue a career in law, let alone as a judicial officer. If we don't get kids into school with an idea of going to law school, we won't have minority lawyers. If we don’t get them practicing, we won't have a pipeline to the bench. It's really critical, so I'm doing my bit to try to help expand that pipeline.

With MABA, we recently created a new program and a standing committee called The Judicial Pipeline Program. The purpose is to encourage not only lawyers who have thought about becoming a judge, but lawyers who have never thought for a moment that they might be a viable candidate for a judgeship, to seek appointment. We have put on several programs to encourage diverse lawyers to seek appointment or election to the bench, and to help guide them through that process.

LD: That's great.

EB: We need a diversity of backgrounds, ages, et cetera, to really have a judiciary that's representative of our very diverse California population. I am currently one of MABA’s representatives on the Los Angeles County Unity Bar, which is a loose association of nine diverse member bar associations and growing. LACUB is one of a number of Unity Bars formed across California whose mission is to diversify the judiciary and the legal profession. I am honored to be LACUB’s Chair of Judicial Endorsements, and in that role it is my mission to encourage folks from all traditionally underrepresented communities to seek appointment and to seek LACUB’s endorsement.

LD: What do you do for fun outside your practice?

EB: I love to travel. I spend as much time as I can with my significant other in Wine Country, in Healdsburg in Sonoma County and in Italy. I’d love to retire to either or both one day. I lost my Pomeranian Shakira earlier this year, after bringing her to work with me for the past 11 years. She was our firm mascot, and known to opposing counsel, clients and court reporters alike. One day soon I’ll be ready for a new dog.