Employment Law
Wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment, discrimination, and unpaid wages under California's FEHA and Labor Code protections.
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Serving California's Central Valley
Fresno Attorney for Employment, Personal Injury, Civil Rights & Appeals
Counsel rooted in the San Joaquin.
Personal injury, employment, and civil rights advocacy — trial and appeal — for the people of the Valley. Licensed throughout California and available to clients statewide.
Trial & Appeal
Superior and appellate courts
Fresno
& the Central Valley
Bar #306035
State Bar of California
Practice Areas
Four areas of focused representation
Deliberately narrow, so each case gets real depth rather than volume treatment.
Civil Rights
Claims involving excessive force, unlawful arrest, and violations of state and federal constitutional rights, including § 1983 actions.
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Appellate briefing and oral argument in the California Courts of Appeal and Ninth Circuit — including appeals from trials handled by other counsel.
Learn morePersonal Injury
Car accidents, dangerous premises, and other serious injuries — building the medical, economic, and human record of what the injury actually cost you.
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The Local Advantage
Hire the Valley, not a billboard
Central Valley cases are tried in front of Central Valley judges and Central Valley juries. That is not a detail — it is most of the strategy.
Advertising firms, three hours south
- Your day-to-day contact is usually a case manager or paralegal, not the attorney whose name is on the sign.
- Files are worked in volume, which rewards fast settlement over full case development.
- Out-of-area firms frequently refer Valley cases to local counsel anyway — and collect a referral fee for doing it.
- Meetings mean a drive, or they never happen in person at all.
- Little feel for how a Fresno, Madera, Tulare, or Merced County jury actually hears a case.
Counsel who is actually here
- You work with the attorney. The lawyer you meet at the consultation is the lawyer handling your file.
- Local courts, local rules. Familiarity with Fresno County Superior Court practice, departments, and scheduling realities.
- Local jury sense. Valley juries value credibility and plain speaking; case framing and valuation follow from that.
- Known to the local bar. Reputation with opposing counsel and regional adjusters is earned over years in the same courthouse.
- Real access. In-person meetings in Fresno — and, where injuries make travel hard, arrangements that come to you.
- Accountability. A local practice lives or dies on how it treats its neighbors.
This comparison describes general differences between practice models. It is not a statement about any particular firm, and it is not a guarantee of any result. Every case is different, and choosing a lawyer is an important decision.
About the Firm
A small practice, on purpose
Laura E. Brown is a California attorney based in Fresno, admitted to the State Bar of California under bar number 306035. Her practice is built around a simple trade-off: fewer cases at a time, so that each one gets the preparation it would need if it went all the way to trial or up on appeal.
That approach shapes everything — how cases are screened, how clients are kept informed, and how the other side's offers get evaluated.
- The lawyer at your consultation is the lawyer on your case.
- Calls returned by the person who actually knows the file.
- Every offer explained in plain language before you decide.
- Available 24/7 — accidents and arrests do not keep office hours.
Approach
How a case moves
No mystery, no runaround. Here is the shape of the process from first call to resolution.
1
Consultation
A free, confidential conversation about what happened, what you need, and whether there is a claim worth pursuing.
2
Investigation
Records, evidence, witnesses, and experts. The case gets built before demands are made, not after.
3
Claim or Filing
Negotiation where it serves you, and a filed complaint where it does not. You decide, with a clear picture of both.
4
Resolution
Settlement, trial, or appeal — with the case developed well enough that the other side has to take it seriously.
Common Questions
Before you call
Is the first consultation really free?
Nothing. The first consultation is free and confidential, whether or not the firm takes the case.
How does a contingency fee work?
Personal injury matters are generally handled on a contingency fee — no attorney's fee unless there is a recovery. The specific percentage and how costs are handled are set out in a written fee agreement you review and sign before any work begins. Employment, civil rights, and appellate matters may be contingency, hourly, or flat fee depending on the matter; fee structure is discussed openly at the consultation.
How long do I have to bring a claim in California?
It depends on the type of claim and who the defendant is. Some deadlines are very short — claims against a public entity in California generally require a written government claim within six months of the incident, and some employment claims require an administrative filing first. Because a missed deadline can end a case permanently, call sooner rather than later, even if you are unsure.
What cities does the firm serve?
Fresno and the surrounding Central Valley, including Clovis, Madera, Visalia, Hanford, Selma, Sanger, Reedley, Kingsburg, Merced, and Tulare — with appellate work in the California Courts of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit.
Do you take appeals from other lawyers' cases?
Yes. Appellate representation is frequently separate from trial representation, and a fresh set of eyes on the record is often exactly what an appeal needs. Appellate deadlines are strict and jurisdictional, so contact the office promptly after judgment.
What should I bring to my first meeting with a lawyer?
Whatever you already have: police or incident reports, photographs, medical records or bills, correspondence, pay stubs, personnel files, insurance letters, and any deadlines you have been given. If you have nothing yet, come anyway — collecting it is part of the job.
Tell me what happened.
A free, confidential consultation — in the office, by phone, or by video. If the case is not one this firm should take, you will get a straight answer and, where possible, a referral to someone who should.