Ms. Mouser has provided valuable and practical advice to clients since 1989. Ms. Mouser focuses her practice on employment law representing management for private and public entities and legal issues for public entities.

Educational Background

  • B.S., Central Michigan University, 1985
  • J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1988
  • LL.M., University of Illinois College of Law, 1989. 

Ms. Mouser taught legal writing as a faculty member of the University of Illinois College of Law while obtaining her LL.M. Degree. 

Speaking Engagements

Ms. Mouser is a highly sought-after speaker throughout California. Presentations include those to NCHRA (Northern California Human Resource Association), NCCIPMA-HR (Northern California Chapter of the International Public Management Association-Human Resources), Women in HR, and other public entity associations including the California School Boards Association and the State Police Chiefs Association.

Ms. Mouser is well-known for teaching several employment law topics to Human Resources professionals in the public and private sectors through the University of California Santa Cruz Extension, including “Terminating and Managing Problem Employees,” “Workplace Investigations,” “Law & Human Resource Management,” “Drafting Practical Employee Handbooks,” “Government Investigations, Audits and Hearings,” and “Workplace Violence.” Ms. Mouser has been teaching with UCSC Extension since the early 1990s.

Past Experience

Ms. Mouser has been a shareholder or a partner at Littler in San Jose, at Girard & Vinson in Walnut Creek, and at Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Pleasanton.

Employment Law

Ms. Mouser is well-versed in employment laws based on representing both public and private entities on employment law issues ranging from hiring to terminations. She has successfully represented employers and provided down-to-earth preventive advice on employment law issues including:
  • Paid sick leave,
  • Hiring issues including compliance with the laws prohibiting requesting salary history information and the laws governing use of criminal conviction history,
  • Immigration enforcement agent access requirements,
  • Harassment, discrimination, and equal employment opportunity
  • Wrongful termination,
  • Wage and hour (including overtime, collective and class actions, meal/rest periods, and commission disputes),
  • Workplace violence prevention (including TROs),
  • Disability accommodations, interactive process meetings, and fitness-for-duty exams,
  • Defamation,
  • Privacy,
  • Leaves of absence (including family and medical care leaves and new parent bonding leaves),
  • Unemployment benefits,
  • Independent contractor issues,
  • Investigations of employee misconduct,
  • Employee handbooks and other policies,
  • Substance abuse issues, 
  • Reductions in force,
  • COVID-19 pandemic compliance, and
  • Safety and health issues. 

Ms. Mouser has been negotiating and interpreting collective bargaining agreements and assisting management in responding to union issues since 1989. Ms. Mouser has extensive bargaining experience in numerous sectors including both public entities and private entities and has handled unfair practices and representational matters before NLRB and PERB. Ms. Mouser has served as chief bargaining spokesperson for many entities, including school districts, community college districts, county offices of education, cities, hospitals, and health centers.

Ms. Mouser has represented employers in multiple sectors including airlines, multinational employers, law firms, universities, colleges, religious entities, construction contractors, service providers, nonprofits, hospitals and health care, medical equipment, high tech, biotechnology, agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, retail, wholesale, travel industry, hotels, real estate development, television broadcasting, restaurants, financial institutions, homeowner associations, private and public schools, child care centers, and public sector employers.

Public Entity Law

Ms. Mouser has assisted numerous public entities throughout California, including school districts, cities, community college districts, special districts, and county offices of education. Ms. Mouser advises public entities on employment, student, Brown Act, Public Records Act, contract, lease, and general legal advice issues. 

Ms. Mouser advises public entity boards and personnel commissions during employee discipline hearings.

Ms. Mouser is recognized as an authority on student discipline, expulsion appeals, and student rights including constitutional issues. Ms. Mouser has been selected to present workshops on student discipline and expulsion appeals at statewide education law conferences including conferences hosted by ACSA, CCSESA, and CASCWA. Student rights and issues include:
  • Discipline, suspension, and expulsion hearings and appeals,
  • Alternatives to discipline,
  • Restorative justice,
  • Cyberbullying and bullying,
  • Harassment and discrimination prevention and response,
  • School safety and violence prevention plans,
  • Free speech rights,
  • Constitutional rights,
  • Student fees issues,
  • Extracurricular and athletic participation,
  • FERPA, student record confidentiality, and directory information requests, 
  • Record retention requirements,
  • Record challenges and hearings,
  • Grade change requests,
  • Truancy and SARB issues,
  • Searches,
  • Inter-district and intra-district transfers and appeals,
  • Public Records Act request responses, and
  • Enrollment, residency verification, and open enrollment issues.