Bio - Patricia A. Shiu

Commemoration of Equal Pay Day - April 28, 2011

Patricia A. Shiu, Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, U.S. Department of Labor

Prior to being appointed Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs at the Department of Labor by President Obama, Patricia A. Shiu served as the Vice President for Programs at the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center in San Francisco. Ms. Shiu joined the Employment Law Center in 1983 as a staff attorney where she focused primarily on employment discrimination, including sex, LGBT, national origin, disability and race-based discrimination and harassment individual and class action cases.

Ms. Shiu was the Director of the Society's Work and Family Project and advocated for the passage of California's Family Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and Paid Sick Leave. She has litigated numerous cases under these laws. Ms. Shiu has also litigated educational access class action cases under Title IX and disability laws.

Ms. Shiu began her legal career as an associate with Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro in San Francisco. She was the President of California Women Lawyers in 1987. She was appointed to the Civil Rights Reviewing Authority for the Department of Education in 1993 by Secretary Richard Riley. She served as the Vice President of the National Employment Lawyers Association. She was recognized in 2009 with the Joe Morozumi Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the 2002 recipient of the Abby J. Leibman Pursuit of Justice Award, and the Pacific Asian American Bay Area Coalition's Women Warrior Award. Ms. Shiu is a graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law.