When you hire a workers' compensation or employment lawyer, the first question worth asking is: who else does this firm represent? At Noble Attorneys, the answer is simple. We represent workers. Only workers. Michael's membership in the California Employment Lawyers Association is the formal, statewide proof of that commitment.
What CELA Is
The California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) is a statewide professional organization of roughly 1,300 attorneys who represent employees in employment law cases. Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Woodland Hills, CELA is the largest organization of employee-rights lawyers in California, and one of the largest in the country.
CELA members handle the full range of California employment matters: wrongful termination, discrimination (race, gender, age, disability, national origin, religion), sexual harassment, retaliation, wage and hour violations, whistleblower claims, family and medical leave disputes, and related workplace civil rights cases.
Why Membership Is Not Automatic
CELA is not a general bar association you join by paying dues. Regular membership has rules that filter out lawyers who play both sides of the field.
- At least 51 percent of the attorney's practice must be devoted to representing employees, applicants, or labor unions. Most CELA members are at 100 percent.
- An attorney may have no more than one open matter representing an employer at any time, and only under narrow circumstances.
- No defense work in employment cases. CELA members do not represent companies, insurance carriers, or management in employment disputes.
The result is a network of lawyers whose entire professional identity is built around standing up for the worker. There are no conflicts of interest waiting in the wings. When Michael takes your case, he is not also defending some other company in a similar lawsuit on the other side of town.
What CELA Does for Its Members
Membership is more than a line on a website. CELA actively shapes California employment law and gives its members real tools to fight harder for clients.
Amicus Briefs to the California Supreme Court
CELA files friend-of-the-court briefs in major employment cases at the California Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal. These briefs frequently move the needle on issues like arbitration, retaliation standards, wage and hour rules, and the scope of FEHA protections. When a CELA brief is cited in a published opinion, every employee in California benefits.
Legislative Advocacy
CELA monitors and advocates on legislation in Sacramento. Bills that would weaken employee protections get pushback. Bills that strengthen them get support. Many recent California employment laws (paid sick leave expansions, ban-the-box rules, wage transparency, anti-retaliation enhancements) have CELA fingerprints on them.
Brief Bank and List Server
CELA maintains an internal brief bank and a private list server where members exchange briefs, motions, expert recommendations, deposition strategies, and case-specific intelligence. If a defense firm is using a novel argument in Los Angeles, a CELA member in San Francisco has likely already seen it and beaten it.
Annual Conference and CLE
The CELA Annual Conference is the largest gathering of employee-side employment lawyers in California. Michael attends, learns from the leading plaintiffs' attorneys in the state, and brings sharper tactics back to Noble Attorneys' clients.
Mentor Program and CELA Bulletin
CELA pairs newer attorneys with experienced trial lawyers and publishes the CELA Bulletin, a regular newsletter covering case law updates, practice tips, and legislative developments.
Why This Matters for You
If you are reading this page, you are probably comparing law firms. Here is what CELA membership tells you about Noble Attorneys.
Plaintiff-Side, Period.
Michael does not represent employers, insurance carriers, or management in employment cases. There are no conflicts. There is no "we usually do defense, but we'll take this one." Your interests are the firm's only interests.
- Vetted commitment. The 51 percent rule is not aspirational. CELA verifies it. Membership is a credential, not a marketing claim.
- Statewide network. Michael's CELA connections give him direct access to specialists for unusual case types and to attorneys in jurisdictions outside Los Angeles when needed.
- Current on the law. California employment law changes constantly. CELA membership keeps Michael at the front of those changes, not catching up after a defense lawyer has already exploited them.
- Bigger fights, bigger leverage. Defense firms know which plaintiffs' attorneys are wired into CELA. It matters at the negotiation table.
Michael's Related Memberships
CELA is one of several professional commitments that define how Noble Attorneys operates. Michael is also a member of:
- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), the largest local association of plaintiffs' trial attorneys
- Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), the statewide plaintiffs' bar
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2020 through 2026 (six consecutive years, top 2.5 percent of California attorneys under 40 or with under 10 years of practice)
Together, these memberships place Michael inside the network of California's leading plaintiffs' lawyers, where strategy, intelligence, and advocacy move faster than they do for solo practitioners on the outside.
Verified at the Source
You can verify CELA membership directly at cela.org, the official site of the California Employment Lawyers Association. CELA also publishes a member directory and maintains an active legal news section covering the cases and legislation they are involved with.
Facing wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in California? You deserve a lawyer whose entire practice is on your side. Free, confidential consultation in English, Español, or Հայերեն. Call (747) 777-5977 or send a message.