Parker has 20 years of experience at the Oakland City Attorney's Office, including more than 10 years as second-in-command. She is a 1975 Harvard Law School graduate and previously served for more than five years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. She is a lifelong advocate for civil rights, women's empowerment and children's issues. As Chief Assistant City Attorney, Parker has represented the City Attorney's Office at virtually all City Council meetings for the past decade. Her responsibilities included overseeing a staff of about 20 attorneys and directing all legal advice provided to the Mayor's Office, City Council, City Administrator and all other Boards, Commissions and Departments. "I have the utmost confidence in Barbara Parker's ability to discharge the City Attorney's duties under the charter," Russo said. "She is principled, innovative and one of the brightest legal minds I have had the privilege of working with. The City Council, the City of Oakland and the entire community will be well served through her leadership." Parker has led and supported efforts on a range of important social justice issues including: sexual harassment investigations and training, Oakland's groundbreaking anti-predatory lending ordinance, decriminalization of medical marijuana, enforcement and implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the City's "Bubble Ordinance" ensuring patient access to reproductive health clinics. "I welcome this opportunity to continue to serve the City and the residents of Oakland in this time of transition," Parker said. "Oakland has been a national trailblazer in using the law in innovative ways to make our communities safer, to eradicate blight, to provide medicine for people suffering from illness or injury and to fight for equal access and citizens' rights." "During these challenging economic times, I am committed to continuing to work closely with the Council and to bringing people together to represent the best interests of the Oakland community in a transparent, accessible manner. Teamwork and effective problem-solving are critically important at this time." |