Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

I practice both Immigration and Nationality Law and Social Security Disability law.

As to the Immigration field, I represent people in removal (deportation) proceedings. I also assist small businesses in obtaining professional visas such as H-1Bs or L-1s for their employees. I represent applicants for political asylum, and religious workers and individuals at all stages of the naturalization process. Finally, I help people who wish to bring their family members to the United States.

In the Social Security field, I represent disabled individuals at administrative hearings and in federal court.

In both areas I have taken cases to the federal court and up through the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. I have listed a couple of the cases in my profile.

I am very active with the SL (Second Life®) Bar Association (www.secondlife.com).

Staff Attorney at The Hawkins Center of Rubicon programs, a non-profit social services agency. Focus on integrating poverty law services with workforce development, housing, mental health, and case management services. Current primary areas of interest are in reentry policy and the legal barriers to employment faced by those living under conditions of abject poverty.

My practice areas are Social Security (SSDI/SSI) Law, Public Benefits, Poverty Law, and Reentry Legal Services (particularly the Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Record).

My academic interests lie along the intersection of the Anthropology of Legal Practice and Critical Legal Studies, particularly work influenced by Bruno Latour and Object Oriented Philosophy.

Presiding Artibrator of the State Bar of California (2006-2008). California State Bar Committee on Mandatory Fee Arbitration (2001 – 2008; Chair 2004-2005; Vice Chair 2002-2004). California State Bar Committee on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (2009- ). Vice chair, Bar Association of San Francisco Committee on Arbitration and Mediation of Fee Disputes (1996 - present). Board of Contributors, Medical Malpractice Law & Strategy, affiliated with New York and National Law Journals (1983-90). Editorial Board, San Francisco Attorney, Bar Association of San Francisco (1991-1995). Chair, Section on Insurance, Negligence & Compensation Law, Bar Association of San Francisco (1971); Vice Chair, California State Bar Committee to Confer with the California Medical Association (1979-1980); Vice Chair, Medical-Legal Liaison Committee, Bar Association of San Francisco (1970); Chair, CTLA Legal Students Committee (1970).
Administrative Law Judge pro tem, California Office of Administrative Hearings - Keyhea hearings regarding involuntary administration of psychiatric medications to prison inmates (1998 - 2003). Judge pro tem, San Francisco Superior Court, civil jury trial, settlement conferences, small claims appeals (1991-1997). Nevada County Municipal Court,small claims (1996 – 2004). Advisory Committee on Voir Dire, Judicial Council of California (1988-1992), established originally by statute as California Task Force on Voir Dire; coauthor of standardized Juror Questionnaire for Civil Cases adopted by California Judicial Council (form MC-001) (1993). Member, Private Judging Advisory Panel, Institute for Social Analysis (1991). Lawyer delegate to Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, Seattle, Washington (1969).
President, California Trial Lawyers Association (now CAOC) (1980); Vice President (1978 and 1979). Chair, California Trial Lawyers Association Amicus CuriaeCommittee (1982, 1985 and 1986, member 1974-1976, 1978, 1980-1986). Assistant Editor, California Trial Lawyers JOURNAL (1970-1977); Board of Governors, California Trial Lawyers Association (1976-1986); chair, California Trial Lawyers Association Committee on Malpractice Law Litigation (1976). Board of Governors, Western Trial Lawyers Association (1983-1986). Chair, State Legislation Subcommittee, Association of Trial Lawyers of America (1981-1982); Vice-chair, ATLA Administration Department (1983); member ATLA Board of Governors, (1980-1983). Consultant to Nevada Trial Lawyers Association before Assembly Judiciary Committee of the Nevada legislature (1985). Consultant to Alaska Bar and Trial Lawyers Associations to Alaska Governor's Commission on Medical Malpractice (1975). Member, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (2005).
Assistant Professor of Law [adjunct faculty], University of California Hastings College of the Law, 1971-1984, teaching courses in Legislation and Legislative Advocacy, Government Tort Litigation, and Trial Practice. Faculty member: National College of Advocacy, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Reno, Nevada, 1981; Civil College of Advocacy, San Francisco (Hastings College of the Law) 1978. Instructor, "Law for the Layman," YWCA of San Francisco, 1965. Teaching Assistant, Department of Speech, University of California, 1961-1964. Frequent lecturer. Author of two books, two course texts for courses taught at Hastings College of the Law, and over two dozen articles. Invited lectures for more than two dozen professional organizations on a variety of professional topics.
Legal Experience
From 1965-2005: full-time preparation and trial of civil cases including professional liability (with emphasis on attorney or physician malpractice), attorney fee disputes, business and real estate, insurance carrier liability (in particular insurance bad faith claims), technical liability, personal injury, product liability, construction defect, elder financial abuse, and other types of damages litigation in California Superior Courts, Nevada District Court, and the United States District Court.
Appellate practice includes approximately fifty cases before the California Courts of Appeal and Supreme Court, Nevada Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and -- in 1968 -- the United States Supreme Court. Appellate cases of interest include:
American Bank and Trust Company v. Community Hospital of Los Gatos-Saratoga, Inc. (1984) 36 Cal.3d 359; briefed and argued (and reargued) before the California Supreme Court on behalf of amicus curiae California Trial Lawyers Association testing the constitutionality of the 1975 Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act.
Edwards v. Pacific Fruit Express (1968) 390 U.S. 538, 20 L.Ed.2d 112, 88 S.Ct. 1239.
Chambers v. Kay (2002) 29 Cal.4th 142.
Gallo v. Peninsula Hospital (1985) 164 Cal.App.3d 899; limited use of undisclosed expert witnesses.
Gampell v. Superior Court (1982) 33 Cal.3d 242; established the authority of the Governor to fill appellate court vacancies authorized by the Legislature.
Nogueiro v. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (1988) 203 Cal.App.3d 1192; establishing arbitrators' authority to determine law applicable to arbitration awards.
Price v. Shell Oil (1970) 2 Cal.3d 245; expanded the product safety doctrine of strict liability to apply to leased products.
Ramirez v. Superior Court (1980) 103 Cal.App.3d 746; prohibited enforcement of arbitration agreements involving individual patients where the patient did not knowingly and voluntarily agree to arbitration.
Truman v. Thomas (1980) 27 Cal.3d 285; expanded the doctrine of "informed consent" in medical malpractice cases.
Recognition of Experience certificates: "Professional Negligence," "General Trial Lawyer," and "Products Liability," California Trial Lawyers Association, 1979.
Personal
Recent community activities: Commissioner, Palm Desert Rent Review Commission, 2006 - (vice chair 2008); Commissioner, Town of Truckee Planning Commission, (1999 - 2001); Tahoe Donner Association Governing Documents Revision Committee (1997- 2000); Tahoe Donner Architectural Standards Committee (alternate 1997-1999, member 1999 - 2000); USTA NorCal certified umpire (1998 - 2000);Tahoe Donner Tennis Club Board of Directors (1997-1999).
J.D., University of California (Boalt Hall, 1964); A.B., "Communications and Public Policies," University of California (Berkeley, 1961). Course certificate, Aircraft Accident Investigation, Institute of Aerospace Safety and Management (University of Southern California, 1969). Admitted to practice: California Bar, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and United States District Court for the Northern District of California (1965); United States District Court for the Eastern District of California (1982); United States District Court for the Central District of California (1998); United States Supreme Court (1968). Mediation training: Commercial Mediation, 40 hours, ADRA (1994); Commercial Arbitration, 7 hours, American Arbitration Association (1994); Fee Dispute Mediation and Arbitration, Bar Association of San Francisco, 11 hours (1992, 1995 and 1996); Advanced Mediation, 13 hours, John Paul Jones Group (1997)
Conseiller, Confrerie des Vignerons de Saint Vincent Bourgogne et Macon USA (1984-1990). Vice President, United Nations Association of San Francisco (1969-1970). Vice President, Medical & Professional Society (1977; Director 1978-1979)). Life member, Sierra Club and East African Wild Life Society.
Countries visited: Antigua, Australia, Austria, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Comoros, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Hebrides [Vanuatu], New Zealand, Portugal, St. Lucia, St. Martin, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tahiti, Thailand, Trinidad, Tunisia, and Turkey.
Born April 20, 1940, San Francisco. Wife: Ruth. Children: Leah and Jessica.

Susan Alexander Myers holds a J.D., M.P.A. and an advanced law degree in Taxation (LL.M). She has practiced law in Texas and California for 10 years. Susan is a passionate advocate for seniors and their families and dedicates her practice to issues that arise from the aging process, including plannning for long-term care, Medi-Cal planning, estate planning, nursing home issues, public benefits, and conservatorships. Susan is also an experienced estate and trust litigator. When you have a legal problem, choose an attorney who will represent you with Compassion, Care and Commitment.

Ms. Henderson has been representing clients in criminal and juvenile cases since 1997. Her clients have been found not guilty on all counts in over half of her trials. The focus is always to understand the personal needs of the client (obtaining employment in the future, licensing, how the case impacts the client personally, professionally, legally and emotionally.) Often times success is gauged in reducing time,protecting the client's record for the future (avoiding strikes, priors, prison) and looking at alternative sentences.

The approach to criminal defendants in most counties in California is very impersonal and often times unbending. The legislature has limited many of the protections that were once afforded people accused of a crime. They allowed themselves to be influenced by fear and a corrections model. Many of our clients today pled guilty to a strike, either as a very young person or when they were juveniles not knowing the affect it would have in the future. Those strikes are alleged on most complaints to encourage you to plead,increase the penalty, and require a prison sentence. One way to avoid this is to educate yourself and others about their legal rights so that they do not make the same mistakes the previous generation has made.

If bail is a possibility let your attorney know. In Sacramento a two day notice for bail or release on OR must be given to the District Attorney. Decisions that an attorney can make for you are whether requesting a reduction in bail will risk it being raised significantly and whether the judge that you are in front of is one who will listen fairly to the facts. Clients are often much better off out of custody so that they can access services through their own resources to show the court that the allegations are either not true or an anomaly.

The Sacramento jail has been the subject of numerous law suits and suicides in the past several years and is not a place where you or anyone you care about should stay for any length of time. Ms. Henderson's concern for the medical, mental health care and conditions in the juvenile halls and jails has led her to involvement in civil rights cases against the Sacramento County jail.

Ms. Henderson represents clients in Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, Marysville, Placer, El Dorado, San Joaquin counties, Alameda, Contra Costa County. Recall petitions from the California Youth Authority/DJJ are handled all across the state.