Cara Van Dorn - La Jolla, CA
Attorney at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP
Discrimination Lawyers in La Jolla, CA
7911 Herschel Avenue Suite 300 La Jolla, CA 92037
- Free Consultation
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
8
Years
Experience
La Jolla Discrimination Lawyer
Updated: 10/05/2026
Areas of Practice
- Discrimination
- Whistleblower Retaliation
- Wrongful Termination
Attorney Information
Overview
Cara Van Dorn is a Senior Litigation Counsel at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight.
At Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, Cara’s practice has focused on discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, and wrongful termination, representing individuals treated unjustly by employers. Cara was an integral part of the four-attorney team that represented twenty-two victims of the now infamous fraudulent and exploitative pornography scheme GirlsDoPorn through a 99-day bench trial that resulted in a more than $20 million judgment and permanent injunctions prohibiting the company’s deceptive and unlawful practices. The perpetrators of GirlsDoPorn’s criminal enterprise have all pleaded guilty to federal sex trafficking charges and are serving lengthy prison sentences.
Alongside the same team of attorneys, Cara represented 50+ GirlsDoPorn victims in a related, trailblazing case against MindGeek, the company that owns and operates behemoths pornography website Pornhub.com. The complaint alleged that MindGeek had violated federal sex trafficking laws by participating in and knowingly profiting from the GirlsDoPorn sex trafficking venture. The GirlsDoPorn and MindGeek cases received both national and international attention and earned Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight the honor of being named the Elite Trial Lawyers’ Human Rights Firm of the Year in 2021 and the Civil Rights Firm of the Year in 2022.
At Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, Cara’s clients have included:
- female scientists at the top of their fields who were discriminated against and terminated from pharmaceutical companies based on their sex and gender
- a city attorney who was fired for her refusal to violate public records laws
- healthcare executives who were terminated from their positions after investigating, reporting, and opposing unlawful conduct at a California hospital district and medical foundation
- an auditor of a nationwide bank who was retaliated against and terminated for reporting violations of banking statutes and regulations
- a nurse at a psychiatric hospital who was fired for opposing and reporting persistent and dangerous understaffing
- a female lawyer who was discriminatorily denied business development opportunities and wrongfully terminated
- scientists and engineers who were wrongfully discharged from California tech companies for taking family medical leave
Cara graduated cum laude from Wake Forest School of Law after receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where she was a member of the varsity rowing team.
Before joining Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, Cara was an associate at Motley Rice, where she gained valuable experience in tobacco, asbestos, securities, and burn pit litigation.
When Cara is not lawyering, she enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, biking, and playing tennis.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Best Lawyers’ Ones to Watch Selectee for “Labor and Employment Law – Employee” – 2027 and 2026
- Super Lawyers’ “Rising Star” Selectee – 2026, 2025, and 2024
Other Sources of Feedback About Cara Van Dorn
Included on the 2027 San Diego Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2026 San Diego Super Lawyers list
- 2025 San Diego Super Lawyers list
- 2024 San Diego Super Lawyers list
Education
Legal Education
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Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston Salem, North Carolina
J.D.
Honors: cum laude
Honors: Elder Law Clinic
Honors: Author, Wake Forest Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law
Honors: Received CALI awards for achieving the top grade in several classes
Non Legal Education
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University of North Carolina
B.A.
Current Employment Position(s)
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Senior Litigation Counsel
Past Positions
- Motley Rice, Associate
Bar Admissions
- California
Photo
Contact
7911 Herschel Avenue
Suite 300
La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone Number: 888-681-5583
Fax Number: 646-402-5651
Email: Send a message
Website: https://sanfordheisler.com/
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