Ann O'Leary, a Senior Fellow at American Progress and Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Health Economics and Family Security (CHEFS) UC Berkeley School of Law, will present a public talk titled, "A Working Nation: How Women as Half the Labor Force Transforms Our Lives" at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11 in Bowl 016, Robertson Hall on the Princeton University campus.

As executive director of CHEFS O’Leary’s mission is to develop and advance creative solutions to address the economic risks faced by working Americans with a focus on improving access to health care, developing better protections for workers who are voluntarily or involuntarily on leave from their jobs, and supporting working parents in a flexible workplace.

She previously served as a deputy city attorney for the City of San Francisco and clerked for the Honorable John T. Noonan, Jr. on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. From 2001 through 2003, O’Leary served as legislative director for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. From 1994 through 2000, she served in a number of positions in the Clinton administration, including as special assistant to the president on the Domestic Policy Council and as senior policy advisor to the deputy secretary of education.

O’Leary serves on the boards of San Francisco-based Public Advocates, a non-profit public law office focused on challenging the systemic causes of poverty and discrimination by promoting civil rights, and the East Bay Community Law Center, a legal clinic serving low-income members of the community. She also served as a volunteer policy advisor to the Hillary Clinton for President campaign on issues related to children and working families.

O’Leary received her bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College, her master’s degree from Stanford University, and her law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law.

The event is co-sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Office of Graduate Career Services.  It is part of the Christian Johnson Endeavor Leadership Through Mentorship Program and is free and open to the public.