Mary Breffle

With an emphasis on labor and employment issues, Mary Breffle provides skillful guidance to California school districts and other education-related public agencies. She advises clients in a variety of matters, including employee discipline, employee leave and attendance, certificated and classified personnel matters and investigations. In addition, Mary has represented clients in collective bargaining sessions and looks forward to continuing to participate in these essential and high-impact negotiations.

On the governance side, Mary helps districts fulfill Public Records Act requests and Brown Act meeting procedures. She also assists governing boards in drafting and revising policies and regulations. Mary’s detail-oriented “gatekeeper” approach ensures accuracy and meets compliance obligations while protecting the privacy and confidentiality of students, parents and community members.

In administrative agency hearings, Mary litigates disputes stemming from Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) unfair labor practice charges and state Civil Rights Department (CCR) discrimination and retaliation claims and also helps protect district employees by obtaining restraining orders. Clients often find the processes confusing and stressful, and Mary is gratified to walk them through these fraught situations with calmness and competence.

Mary takes a holistic view by identifying potential issues, looking at problems and questions from many angles, exploring various paths and presenting districts and administrators with options that take into consideration both immediate consequences and long-term effects. She enjoys getting to know her clients so she can understand how they think and alleviate their concerns in accordance with their main priorities.

During law school, she externed for the Honorable Jacqueline S. Corley in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, worked as a certificated law clerk for East Bay Family Defenders and served as a law clerk for Legal Aid at Work in San Francisco through the Workers’ Rights Clinic at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Mary also interned for the Oakland Unified School District’s Office of the General Counsel and the Alameda County Family Justice Center. Prior to beginning her law career, she worked in the finance and technology industries.

Mary respects and admires the contributions of those who serve public schools. She’s proud to support them in carrying out the important mission of educating young people.