Dolores Y. Leal - Los Angeles, CA
Attorney at Allred, Maroko & Goldberg
Sexual Harassment Lawyers in Los Angeles, CA
6300 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1500 Los Angeles, CA 90048
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
38
Years
Experience
Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyer
Updated: 04/02/2026
Areas of Practice
- Sexual Harassment
- Employment Discrimination
- Wrongful Termination
Attorney Information
Overview
Dolores Y. Leal, a partner in our firm, specializes in sexual harassment, employment discrimination, and wrongful termination cases.
Before joining our firm in 1991, Ms. Leal worked several years for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, handling cases of employment discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act ("ADEA"), and the Equal Pay Act. Ms. Leal held various positions while at the EEOC, including that of an investigator. Her last position was that of senior trial attorney.
As a senior trial attorney at the EEOC, Ms. Leal tried several Title VII and ADEA cases, including cases involving "English-only" policies, national-origin discrimination, gender discrimination/harassment, pregnancy discrimination, and age discrimination.
Ms. Leal has also tried numerous discrimination and wrongful termination cases at Allred, Maroko & Goldberg. Her most notable victory was in the case of Tylo v. Spelling Entertainment Group, Inc., in which she served as co-counsel representing actress Hunter Tylo in a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit. Ms. Tylo was awarded $4,894,601 in damages. Most important for other victims was a decision by the Court of Appeals, Hunter Tylo v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 55 Cal. App.4th 1379, 64 Cal.rptr.2d 731 (1997). Prior to trial, Ms. Leal appealed an unfavorable decision rendered by the trial court in the Tylo case, in which during Ms. Tylo's deposition the defendant sought to invade Ms. Tylo's constitutional right to privacy. The Court of Appeals agreed to stay the trial court's order and after review, ordered the trial court to reverse its order. Hunter Tylo v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 55 Cal. App.4th 1379, 64 Cal.Rptr.2d 731 (1997). This was a significant victory for persons suing their employers; the Court of Appeals made it clear that it will not allow employers to engage in "fishing expeditions" during the discovery phase of litigation.
Ms. Leal is the author of Litigating Sexual Harassment and Sex Discrimination Cases, published by James Publishing in Costa Mesa, California. She is a frequent speaker before attorney groups and the EEOC and has taught torts, employment discrimination, and critical studies at Peoples College of Law. She has authored a number of articles on employment law.
Until 2009, Ms. Leal was a member of the Executive Board and recent past president of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), a statewide organization of attorneys who represent employees. In September 1999 Ms. Leal was honored by CELA as its "Employment Law Attorney of the Year."
Ms. Leal has also received an "AV" rating, the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and was listed as one of the "Top 50 Women Lawyers in Los Angeles" by The Los Angeles Business Journal in February 1998.
Every year since 2004, Ms. Leal has been named one of Southern California's "SuperLawyers" by Law & Politics and Los Angeles Magazine. She was further honored by that group as one of the Top 50 Female Attorneys in Southern California. Ms. Leal, a native of Los Angeles, also speaks fluent Spanish.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Lawdragon, 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers – 2024
- Southern California's SuperLawyers, Law & Politics and Los Angeles Magazine, 2004 - 2018
- Best Lawyers in America, 2006 - 2018
- One of the Top 50 Female Attorneys in Southern California, 2004 - 2006
- Employment Law Attorney of the Year, CELA, 1999 - 2015
- Top 50 Women Lawyers in Los Angeles, The Los Angeles Business Journal, 1998 - Present
- Latina Lawyers Bar Association, "Mary V. Orozco Caminos, Award", 2015 - Present
- College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, 2008 - 2018
- AV Rated (Highest Rating) by Martindale-Hubbell
- Mexican American Bar Association, "Lifetime Achievement" Award, 2007 - Present
- Top 50 Female Attorneys in Southern California, 2016 - Present
- Best Lawyers, Employment Law- Individuals
- Best Lawyers in Employment
- Selected to Super Lawyers
- EEOC Regional Attorney’s Award (1989)
- California Employment Lawyers Association, Employment Law Attorney of the Year (1999)
- Frank Muñoz Lifetime Achievement Award, Mexican American Bar Association (2007)
- “Abriendo Caminos” Award, Latina Lawyers Association (2009)
- Joe Posner Award, California Employment Lawyers Association (2015)
- Education Committee Service Award, California Employment Lawyers Association (2017)
Other Sources of Feedback About Dolores Y. Leal
Included on the 2026 Southern California Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2024 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2015 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2014 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2013 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2012 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2011 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2010 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2009 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2008 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2007 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2006 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2005 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2004 Southern California Super Lawyers list
Current Employment Position(s)
-
Partner
Past Positions
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Classes and Seminars
-
Torts, Employment Discrimination and Critical Studies, Peoples College of Law
-
Speaker, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
-
Speaker, Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB)
-
Speaker, Southern California Mediation Assn
-
Speaker, Latina Lawyers Bar Assn (LLBA)
-
Speaker, California Applicants Attorneys Assn (CAAA)
-
Speaker, California Employment Lawyers Assn (CELA)
-
Speaker, National Employment Lawyers Assn (NELA)
-
Speaker, California State Bar, Labor & Employment Section
- Speaker, Peoples College of Law - Celebrating "Herstory"
Representative Cases
-
Hunter Tylo v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County
- Citation: 55 Cal. App.4th 1379; 64 Cal. Rptr. 2nd 731
- Year: 1997
-
Dimaranan v. Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
- Citation: F. Supp.338 (C.D. Cal 1991)
- Year: 1991
Published Works
Articles
-
Litigating Sexual Harassment and Sex Discrimination Cases, James Publishing, Costa Mesa, California
Other Affiliations
- California Employment Lawyers Association (Member, Executive Board)
- California Employment Lawyers Association (Past President)
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
- Mexican American Bar Association
- Latina Lawyers Bar Association, "Mary V. Orozco Abriendo Caminos" Award
- College of Labor and Employment Lawyers (Fellow)
- California Employment Lawyers Association ("Joe Posner Award 2015")
Photo
Videos
Disclaimer
Your Profile? Update Now
When viewing a listing, consider the state advertising restrictions to which lawyers and law firms must adhere, as well as our FindLaw.com Legal Directory disclaimer. Some lawyers publish comparative information regarding the services that they provide which may be subject to specific comparative communications restrictions.