Case Studies: Governmental Controversies & Public Policy Solutions

Welcome to the case studies page for Ann O’Leary-proven experience, visible results. Below is a selection of high-profile projects that demonstrate Ann’s role in successfully addressing government agency controversies, advancing significant public policy initiatives, and managing complex crises. Each project illustrates the strategic advice, legal insight, and collaborative approach Ann brings to clients across government, business, and non-profit organizations nationwide.

California in Crisis: Wildfire Response & Utility Restructuring

As Chief of Staff to Governor Gavin Newsom, Ann O’Leary helped shape a critical time in California’s history-the 2019 and 2020 wildfires. With unprecedented destruction, widespread evacuations, and bankrupt power companies, Ann led the rapid response to policy, unifying state departments, local governments, and federal agencies to accelerate emergency triggers and deploy resources. Ann coordinated the drafting of new emergency protocols, provided policy guidance on legislative options for utility liability reform, and facilitated stakeholder outreach to vulnerable communities. Outcome: stronger disaster response practices, a strategy for pushing providers to accountability, and critical support for displaced families. This established benchmarks for preparedness and rebuilding in California.

Reforming Paid Family Leave: Impacting the Care Economy

Named one of the most prominent advocates nationally for working families, Ann O’Leary has played a pivotal role in developing paid family leave policy from state to federal levels. As a Fellow to The Century Foundation, and a trusted advisor to the Care Economy, Ann led a multi-year effort to expand California’s paid family leave insurance program.

Building broad-based coalitions and alliances-from employers to worker organizations to leading nonprofit advocates-Ann authored the legislation to expand benefits, raise wage replacement rates, and increase access for low-income workers. The policy framework she developed became the standard for numerous other states and inspired congressional proposals. These initiatives have enabled millions of families to balance their work demands with their caregiving needs and helped solidify Ann’s standing as a policy innovator and coalition builder.

Crisis Management on COVID-19: California’s Response

When COVID-19 hit, Ann O’Leary led California’s response from the front. She coordinated work across agencies, formulated public health strategies and communications with lightning speed and extraordinary openness. Ann shaped California’s approach based on science, equity in vaccine distribution, and economic recovery for vulnerable communities.

She oversaw the deployment of emergency medical resources to hospitals, built one of the largest contact tracing programs in the country, and helped launch relief programs for small businesses and frontline workers. She was widely credited with creating a model for other states and praised for leading complex, fast-moving crises with clarity and warmth.

Strategic Advocacy in Policy Litigation: Protecting Education and Civil Rights

Ann O’Leary, co-chair of Jenner & Block’s Government Controversies and Public Policy Litigation Practice, has provided strategic legal advice and representation to a range of clients dealing with difficult government controversies. In 2022, Ann headed a litigation team that represented a group of public school districts in a precedent-setting lawsuit to protect fair school funding. Working hand-in-hand with education leaders and advocacy groups, Ann secured additional funding for underfunded schools, ensured students’ civil rights were protected, and set new case law for future policy initiatives. Ann’s unique ability to marry her expertise in law, policy, and public opinion allowed the case to end successfully-and shows how smart advocacy can move the needle on social justice issues.

Solving High-Profile Labor Conflicts: Teacher Strikes and Bargaining

Ann O’Leary is a nationally recognized leader in settlement of labor disputes involving vital public services and the health and safety of communities. Throughout a series of multi-week teacher strikes in California, Ann helped bridge gaps between labor leaders and government officials to balance the needs of teachers with fiscal constraints of school districts and the priorities of students and parents. Ann’s mediations have resulted in pay increases for teachers, additional classroom supplies, and new professional development systems. Her capacity to build trust, engage all parties, listen deeply, and mobilize consensus was invaluable in re-establishing stability in the State’s education system such that learning was not interrupted.

Policy Innovation to Produce an Equitable Economic Recovery

In the aftermath of our nation’s economic crises, Ann O’Leary has advocated for policies that promote innovative, inclusive economic recoveries and long-term resilience. As a senior campaign advisor and non-profit leader, Ann designed programs to support and promote job growth, training, workforce preparation, and small business – particularly in underserved, disadvantaged communities.

From her work at the Opportunity Institute and the Clinton-Kaine Transition Project, to her efforts on the coalitions for federal and state economic security policy with an emphasis on equity and access, Ann’s innovations in these programs have been credited with expanding women’s access to opportunities, communities of color, and working families. Most of all, Ann’s work supports creating a new sustainable economy that is based on economic justice.

Thought Leadership & Teaching: Developing Policy Experts of a New Generation

Beyond her project-based work, Ann O’Leary is passionate about shepherding the next generation of leaders in law and public policy. A lecturer at Stanford and UC Berkeley Law, she has conceived and taught classes on policy development, crisis management, and government litigation.

Her students have become leaders in government, advocacy, and the private sector, embodying Ann’s deep commitment to public service and ethical leadership. Ann’s thought leadership appears in the national media, and Ann is a sought-after speaker on an array of topics from the Care Economy to the Constitution.

A Guide to Partnering with Ann O’Leary

Ann O’Leary’s success is focused at the intersection of attainable results and lasting collaboration. Drawing on extensive legal, policy, and political experience, Ann tackles any task – be it a response to crisis, policy innovation, or high-stakes litigation-with solutions tailormade to each client.

For inquiries regarding how Ann may assist your organization with its respective challenges or goals, please be in touch with her team via [email protected], by phone at (917) 346-9882 or through the website (https://annoleary.com/) for a consultation. Ann O’Leary is based in New York City with a national practice who brings dynamic leadership in the areas of strategy, policy, and crisis management. For more information, visit the Contact Ann O’Leary page.