Fredricka McGee
President
Ms. McGee is currently general counsel to California State Assembly Speaker John A. Pẽrez and served in the same capacity to former Speakers Karen Bass, Fabian N��ez and Antonio Villaraigosa. In 2006 in her capacity as general counsel to Speaker N��ez, Ms. McGee advocated for and negotiated the passage of legislation that furthers a vitally important public policy goal in the legal profession: increasing diversity on the bench. Because of Ms. McGee�s efforts, the judicial appointments process will now provide a mechanism for tracking diversity in judicial candidates and appointments to the bench. For the first time in this state�s history, California law now requires that demographic data on judicial candidates be collected and reported to the Legislature on an annual basis. As a result of her work, she was selected the one of California Lawyer's Attorney of the Year and named one of the Daily Journal's Top 100 Lawyers of 2007. In 2008, she also received the Wiley Manuel Law Foundation's Diversity on the Bench award and the Lawyer of the Year award from California Association of Black Lawyers. Later that year, she was appointed by Senator Dianne Feinstein to Federal Judicial Nomination Evaluation Advisory Committee for the Eastern District of California to recommend applicants for U.S. District Court Judge, U.S. Attorney, and U.S. Marshal who are ultimately forwarded to President Barack Obama.
Ms. McGee has a vast background in state politics and has served in various capacities including chief of staff to two former Assemblymembers and as legislative director to the Honorable Cruz Bustamante. She has extensive policy experience from her consultant positions on Assembly Insurance Committee, Assembly Public Safety Committee, and Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy. Mrs. McGee has also worked as legislative counsel to the State Bar of California.
Prior to focusing her practice on public policy, Ms. McGee practiced as a defense litigation attorney with Murtaugh Miller Meyer & Nelson where she handled personal injury, bankruptcy, and employment cases. Before attending law school, she served as Sr. District Assistant to the late Congressman Glenn M. Anderson of Long Beach.
Mrs. McGee grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, Darmstadt, Germany, and Southern California. She graduated with high honors from Long Beach Polytechnic High School. She earned a Bachelors of Arts in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Marketing from California State University, Long Beach. She later received her Juris Doctorate degree and was voted the Faculty�s Most Outstanding Student from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
Mrs. McGee is a member of the California State Bar where she previously volunteered as a Probation Monitor and mentor for the Bar�s Volunteers on Parole program. She has worked with several youth programs, acted as a mock trial judge and taught paralegal courses. She is also the founding president of the Black Youth Leadership Project, Inc., a non-profit organization which offers interactive legislative and debate programs to African American high school students throughout California. She was a member of the 2005 class of Leadership California. She has served on the board of the Wiley Manuel Bar Association of Sacramento for several years and currently serves as its president.
Dianne Dobbs
First Vice-President
Dianne Dobbs serves as 1st Vice President for the Wiley Manuel Bar Association. Dianne is staff counsel for the California Department of Consumer Affairs. In that role, she acts as in-house counsel for various state licensing boards, bureaus, and commissions. She graduated from Golden Gate University School of Law in May of 2001. Prior to law school, she earned an undergraduate and an MBA from Holy Names University in Oakland, California, while working full-time as a corporate trainer. Dianne has practiced in the areas of employment law, juvenile dependency, family law, probate law, and business law. She currently teaches in the undergraduate and graduate schools of business at the University of Phoenix. Dianne holds a volunteer position on the Conference of Delegates of the California Bar Association, Resolution Committee. She enjoys volunteering in the community, and is a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Sacramento.
June Powells-Mays
Second Vice-President
June Powells-Mays, Attorney at Law, was born and raised in San Francisco, California. June attended San Francisco State University and obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech and Communication Studies. Following college, June attended Golden Gate University School of Law and obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. After law school, June married and relocated to Sacramento. June began her legal career as a Staff Attorney with Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. She has also been employed as a Staff Attorney at Sacramento Child Advocates, Inc. Since 1999, June has been employed by the Sacramento Office of County Counsel where she serves as a Deputy County Counsel assigned to the Juvenile Dependency Division.
Raymond Rouse
Secretary
Ray Rouse grew up in Sacramento and graduated from Hiram Johnson West Campus High School, American River Community College, California State University, Sacramento, and Lincoln Law School of Sacramento. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business/Accounting from CSU, Sacramento in 1998 and his Juris Doctor degree from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento in 2005. After graduating from CSU, Sacramento, and while in law school, Mr. Rouse worked full-time as a corporate tax auditor for the California Franchise Tax Board. Since passing the Bar exam, Mr. Rouse has worked as a Tax Counsel for the Franchise Tax Board and Assistant Public Defender for the Office of the Public Defender in Sacramento County. Mr. Rouse is currently a Deputy Attorney General with the California Attorney General's Office and teaches Legal Writing and Contracts at Lincoln Law School of Sacramento.
William Bishop
Treasurer
William D. Bishop, Jr. is a senior associate in the Labor & Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. His practice focuses on representing management in class and multi-plaintiff employment wage and hour disputes in federal and state courts nationwide. He also represents clients in matters arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and Business and Professions Code section 17200. Mr. Bishop has trial experience as well as experience in various forms of alternative dispute resolution. Mr. Bishop also provides advice to clients concerning a variety of business and employment matters, including independent contractor agreements and non-disclosure agreements.
Mr. Bishop also has been a guest lecturer at the University of the Pacific, Eberhardt School of Business, California State University-Sacramento, College of Business Administration, and the University of California-Davis, King Hall School of Law, discussing various aspects of employment law.
Mark K. Slaughter
Sargent-at-Arms
Mark Slaughter is an Assistant Public Defender with the Office of the Public Defender in Sacramento County, were he represents clients in a wide range of criminal proceedings. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and his bachelor of arts in psychology from California State University Northridge. He is a member of the Sacramento County Bar Association and Sac.L.E.G.A.L. and actively volunteers in a wide range of community service activities including Know Your Rights seminars and voter registration.
Doreathea Johnson
Member-at-Large
Doreathea Johnson, Deputy Director, Legal Affairs and Chief Counsel for the Department of Consumer Affairs. Appointed in 2000 and reappointed in 2006, directs the activities of the Department’s Legal Division and advises the director, the department’s executive staff and the staff and executive officers of the constituent boards, commissions and bureaus comprising of more than 42 regulatory agencies within the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Ms. Johnson, in addition to managing the three units within the Legal Division, including the Administrative Unit, Legal Services Unit and Legal Office, participates as a member of the Executive Team, advising and active involvement on complex legal, legislative, personnel contract and program issues, including presentation of testimony before the Legislature.
A graduate of the University of California’s Hastings College of Law, Ms. Johnson is a long-term public employee with over 30 years of legal experience. Prior to her appointment as Chief Counsel, Ms. Johnson practiced as Senior Tax Counsel with the California Employment Development Department and as an Administrative Law Judge for the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. She has served as Judge Pro Tem of the Small Claims Court and Traffic Court of the Sacramento County Superior Courts, since 1990.
She is an active member in a number of professional organizations; including the State Bar Conference of Delegates, where she served as a board member. She served as a member of the State Bar’s Judicial Nominee Evaluation’s (JNE) Commission and currently serves on the County Bar’s Judicial Evaluation Committee. She is also a member of the California Association of Black Lawyers, serving as a board member and former Vice President; Sacramento County Bar Association and a member of Women Lawyers of Sacramento and past President of the Wiley Manual Bar Association.
Ms. Johnson is also active in community-based organizations; she is a member and past President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eta Gamma Omega Chapter, and a board member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women-Sacramento Chapter.
