Ann O'Leary

Senior Fellow

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Ann is a Senior Fellow at American Progress and is the Executive Director of the newly founded Berkeley Center for Health, Economic & Family Security (CHEFS) located at University of California-Berkeley School of Law. CHEFS mission is to develop and advance creative solutions to address the economic risks faced by working Americans with a focus on improving access to health care, developing better protections for workers who are voluntarily or involuntarily on leave from their jobs, supporting working parents in a flexible workplace, and ensuring that seniors can be secure in their retirement years.

Ann previously served as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Francisco where she spearheaded an effort to develop affirmative public policy litigation on behalf of the working poor.  Prior to her work in the City Attorney's office, Ann clerked for the Honorable John T. Noonan, Jr. on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  From 2001 through 2003, Ann served as legislative director for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.  From 1994 through 2000, Ann served in a number of positions in the Clinton Administration, including as special assistant to the President in the Domestic Policy Council and as senior policy advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Education. 

Ann serves on the boards of San Francisco-based Public Advocates, a non-profit public law office focused on challenging the systemic causes of poverty and discrimination by promoting civil rights, and the Bay Area American Constitution Society Chapter.  Ann also served as a volunteer policy advisor to the Hillary Clinton for President campaign on issues related to children and working families.

Ann received her bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College, her master’s degree from Stanford University, and her law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law.  Ann is the author of How Family Leave Laws Left Out Low-Income Workers, 28 Berkeley J. Emp. & Lab L. 1 (2007).

Email: aoleary /@\ americanprogress.org