By Arun Kumar,
California governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Indian American attorney Vasudha Talla to the state’s Civil Rights Council that promulgates regulations to implement state anti-discrimination laws, including the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Comprised of seven experts, the council holds hearings and clarifies rights regarding employment, housing, and public accommodations.
The position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem, according to an announcement from the governor’s office.
An experienced litigator and advocate, Talla has over 15 years of experience representing clients in complex civil litigation in California and New York, according to her profile.
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She maintains a diverse civil rights practice that includes constitutional litigation challenging federal, state, and local practices targeting immigrants and refugees; illegal prison and jail conditions, including over-detention; excessive force, mass surveillance, and other unlawful practices by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; First Amendment violations; access to counsel; wrongful conviction; and employment and housing discrimination cases alleging discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, familial status, pregnancy, and source of income.
Talla, a Democrat, has been Partner at Emery, Celli, Brinkerhoff, Abady, Ward & Maazel LLP since 2026. She was Of Counsel at Emery, Celli, Brinkerhoff, Abady, Ward & Maazel LLP from 2022 to 2026.
Talla has held multiple positions with the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California from 2017 to 2022, including Director of the Immigrants’ Rights Team, Senior Staff Attorney, and Staff Attorney.
She was a Legal Advisor at the International Refugee Assistance Project in 2016. Talla was a Resettlement Deployee at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2016.
Talla was an Executive Agency Counsel and Legal and Policy Analyst at the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board from 2015 to 2016.
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She was an Associate Attorney at Emery, Celli, Brinkerhoff & Abady from 2011 to 2014. Talla was a Law Clerk with The Honourable Keith P. Ellison, United States District Judge from 2010 to 2011. She was a Liman Public Interest Fellow at Sanctuary for Families from 2009 to 2010.
Talla is a member of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California Board of Directors and the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California.
She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School and a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in English and American Literature from New York University.