Lina Balciunas Cockrell
Lina specializes in public sector labor law, representing police officers, firefighters and other public employees in internal investigations, disciplinary and termination proceedings, grievances, arbitrations, civil litigation, collective bargaining, and in actions before the State Personnel Board, California Public Employment Relations Board, and California Public Employees’ Retirement System. Lina also handles general employment issues, providing counsel and representation in both the public and private sector.
Lina has significant civil litigation experience in the state and federal trial courts, including employment, real estate, bankruptcy, business, entertainment, and civil family issues.
Prior to law, Lina worked for eight years in sports media, including stints with NBC Sports, NBA.com and as a local sports anchor for a CBS affiliate in New England.
EDUCATION
University of California, Davis School of Law, J.D. 2005
Syracuse University, M.A., Broadcast Journalism 1997
University of Notre Dame, B.A., American Studies 1996
AFFILIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
State Bar of California
Sacramento County Bar Association
El Dorado County Bar Association
PROFESSIONAL DISTINCTIONS
Named by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyers (2021 and 2023) in the United States
Executive Committee, Labor & Employment Section, Sacramento County Bar Association 2016-2019
Extern to the Honorable Rodney Davis, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District
PRESENTATIONS
PORAC LDF Conference Panelist 2022: “Managing the Media and the Message” (July 2022)
Panelist, “Demystifying PERS: An Overview of the Litigation Process and Potential Pitfalls,” Labor and Employment Law Section of the California Lawyers Association’s 2002 Public Sector Conference (May 6, 2022)
Presenter, “Defending Police Misconduct at the Administrative Level,” Police Liability in California, Sacramento (September 9, 2014)
Panelist, “Choosing the Right Legal Career,” UC Davis School of Law (August 2007)
PUBLICATIONS
“A Domestic Violence Conviction Could Get You Fired, Even If You Aren’t Married,” PORAC Law Enforcement News (July 2021)
Co-author with Gary M. Messing, “Court of Appeal Reverses Disciplinary ‘Do-Over,’ Curbs Agency Ad Hoc Rulemaking in Published Opinion,” PORAC Law Enforcement News (February 2021)
Co-Author with Gary M. Messing, “Legal Watch: Court of Appeal Reverses CAL FIRE Disciplinary "Do-Over," Curbs State Personnel Board Ad Hoc Rulemaking in Published Opinion,” The CAL FIRE Local 2881 Fire Front (Winter 2020)
Contributing author, The Labor Beat Blog, and The Labor Beat, Messing Adam’s quarterly publication and alerts highlighting topics germane to public sector labor employees
Coauthor, “California Supreme Court Approves Vastly Expanded Judicial Review of Arbitration Awards,” AIR Waves, the newsletter of AIR Commercial Real Estate Association (September 2008)
