Law Offices of
Michelle A. Reinglass

Michelle A. Reinglass   BACKGROUND         Ms. Reinglass was admitted to the California Bar in May 1979.  She was admitted to practice before the Central District Court in 1979, the Southern District Court in 1989 and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1981.  She maintains a private litigation practice in Laguna Hills with emphasis in employment litigation, including wrongful termination, sexual harassment and discrimination.  Her practice involves both State and Federal Court matters.  She also serves as a private mediator and arbitrator and serves on the American Arbitration Association Employment Law panel. BAR - RELATED, COMMUNITY AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT         Ms. Reinglass has been active in the Orange County Bar Association since 1979.  She served as the organization's President in 1993 and was on the OCBA Board for several years.  Ms. Reinglass chaired and served for several years on the Law Day Committee, Client Relations Committee, and Lawyer Referral Service Committee.  Ms. Reinglass was the 1989 Chairperson of the OCBA Business Litigation Section.  She served as a delegate for the OCBA to the State Bar Convention since 1980 for several years.  She chaired the OCBA Long Range Planning Committee in 1994, served on it’s Public Relations Committee as well as the OCBA Awards Committee.     Ms. Reinglass was the 1994-1995 Chairperson of the Central District Delegation of Lawyer Representatives to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, and is a lawyer representative for the second time. She is currently a Board Member of ABTL. She is a member of the Federal Bar, Orange County Chapter, and previously a Master of the Peter M. Elliott Inn of Court. She is a former member of Judicial Council's Committee on Access and Fairness.  Ms. Reinglass served on the Federal Court Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Committee, and served (5) five terms on the Federal Magistrate Judge Merit Screening Committee, Chairing for (3) three years.  She also served on the Central District Standing Committee on Discipline. She served as a member and later chaired Senator Boxer’s Judicial Advisory Committee for the Central District.     Ms. Reinglass is a Past President of the California Association of Large Local Bars ("CALB") a statewide Bench-Bar organization which interfaces with the bar associations, Judiciary and Judicial Council regarding issues relating to the legal and judicial communities.  Ms. Reinglass has chaired the Advisory Board of Volunteers in Parole ("VIP").  She is a past Officer and Director of the Orange County Barristers.  Ms. Reinglass is also a former Board member of the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association.  She previously served three (3) years as President and ten (10) years as a Board Member of COPES ("Child or Parental Emergency Services), a non-profit organization directed against child abuse.  She has been a cast member and serves on the CHOC Follies Sponsorship Committee a musical show, which benefits Children's Hospital of Orange County.  She previously served on the board of directors of Working Wardrobe, a non-profit organization that assists survivors of domestic violence and other adults in crisis to re-enter the workforce.  She is also a member of the United Way Women’s Philanthropy Group.  She has frequently served as a judge pro tem of the Orange County Superior Court handling Law and Motion and Mandatory Settlement Conferences.  EDUCATION, RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS     Ms. Reinglass attended the University of California, Irvine, and received her J.D. from Western State University College of Law. She was inducted into the Western State University College of Law Hall of Fame in May, 1993, and is recognized in Who's Who in American Law and Who's Who in America. She has received the highest "AV" rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Directory.   She was recognized as one of the "Top 10 Women In Orange County Who Make A Difference" by Orange County Metropolitan Magazine in 1994.  She was named Business Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, October 1995, and "Boss of the Year" by Newport/Santa Ana Legal Secretaries Association in 1994.   She received the "Lawyer of the Year" award from the Orange County Women Lawyers Association in January 1996.  In 1997, she was awarded the ADL's Jurisprudence Award.  She received “Employment Trial Lawyer of the Year 2004” award from Orange County Trial Lawyers. She is a member of ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates), Orange County Chapter. Ms. Reinglass is named one of the “Best Lawyers of America” by Best Lawyers of America at BestLawyers.com since 2001. She also has been named by The Daily Journal as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential Lawyers in California" in 2001 as well as one of the "Top 30 Female Litigators" in 2002, and “Top 50 Female Litigators” in 2003 and 2004. She was named by LA Magazine as one of California’s “Super Lawyers” in 2004 and 2005. SPEAKING     Ms. Reinglass is a frequent panelist and adviser for The Rutter Group, CEB, PLI OCBA and Consumer Lawyer (CAOC, OCTLA, CAALA) programs and seminars on employment law, evidence, client relations, elimination of bias, ADR and trial practices.  She has been a panelist for the OCBA Bridging the Gap Program and for the State Bar on Law and Motion.  She has also served as a faculty member of the COTA programs in Civil Advocacy. Ms. Reinglass taught Professional Responsibility at Western State University College of Law in 1991. She has provided training to the OC Superior Court Judges on sexual harassment, and for CJER on Disabilities Law. She speaks often on a variety of topics in employment law for other organizations, including: Governor's "Call to Action", "Personnel Law" Council on Education and Management, O.C. Trial Lawyers Association, O.C. District Attorney's Association, O.C. Paralegal Association, O.C. Women Lawyers,  Riverside County Bar, U.C. Riverside, Los Angeles County Bar Association and Women Lawyers of Los Angeles. PUBLICATIONS      “The New Enforcement of Judgments Act,” Orange County Bar Association Bulletin. September, 1983; Sexual Harassment - The Evolution & The Revolution (Women in the Workplace, Nov. 1993); “You’re Served, What to do When Served with Subpoena,” O.C. Psychological Association, July 1994; Co-Author: Rutter Group/CJA,  Wrongful Termination and Employment Discrimination Program Update, January, 1995; Rutter Book: Co-Author, California Practice Guide, Employment Litigation, Chapter on Sexual Harassment, Published 2001; Advisor, Action Guide on Establishing Good Client Relations, California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1990; CAOC, Arbitrations, 2001; CAOC, Attorneys Fees, 1999; OCBA Labor and Employment Section, “Arbitration after Circuit City and Armendariz”, 2001; CAALA, “To Arbitrate or Litigate, 2001; The Advocate Magazine, “Depositions and Discovery Quicksand”, 2002; Daily Journal Bi-Monthly column on Employment Law and related topics, several other articles on aspects of Employment, trial and ADR practice.