Oakland City Attorney Named Public Lawyer of the Year

Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker was named public lawyer of the year by the California State Bar’s public law section last month, days after being criticized by a federal judge and independent investigator.

“Barbara Parker is an exemplary public lawyer and richly deserving of this award,” Scott Dickey, chair of the State Bar’s public law section, said in a statement.

“Throughout her career, Ms. Parker has served the public, both as a lawyer and as a community leader. Her dedication to promoting and advancing the public interest through public law practice made her stand out among this year’s other highly qualified nominees,” Dickey said.

The State Bar’s announcement was released on April 23, three days after an order was issued by U.S. District Court Thelton Henderson that criticized Parker and other Oakland officials for the city’s record of losing a high percentage of arbitration cases filed by officers who have been disciplined for wrongdoing.

Henderson said a report filed with the court by San Francisco attorney Ed Swanson “demonstrates that much more progress remains to be achieve - perhaps, most notably, the need for leaders at every level of the police department and the city, including the city attorney’s office, to care about, and not just give lip service to, the importance of good policing and accountability.”

Henderson, who is overseeing Oakland’s compliance with a police misconduct suit that was settled 12 years ago, said Swanson’s report is “both disappointing and shocking” and “it is difficult to reach any conclusion other than that the city has been indifferent, at best, to whether its disciplinary decisions are upheld at arbitration.”

Swanson criticized the city attorney’s office for what he said is its “neglect and indifference” in handling police disciplinary cases and arbitrations because it doesn’t prepare well for them.

He also said the relationship between the city attorney’s office and the Police Department has been “dysfunctional” and the two offices haven’t supported each other’s needs in the disciplinary process.

According to the State Bar, Parker has been an Oakland resident for more than 30 years and has been an advocate for civil rights, women’s empowerment and children’s issues.

The Oakland City Council appointed Parker as city attorney in July 2011 to fill the remainder of former City Attorney John Russo’s term after he left the office. In November 2012, she was elected to a four-year term.

Parker will be honored at a reception at the State Bar’s annual meeting in Anaheim in September.

--Bay City News