Robin R. Runge

Assistant Professor of Law
runge@law.und.edu

Robin R. Runge is an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of North Dakota School of Law where she teaches in the Employment and Housing Law Clinic.  She received her B.A. from Wellesley College in History and French and her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School. Before coming to the University of North Dakota School of Law, Professor Runge taught public interest lawyering and domestic violence law at The George Washington University Law School and domestic violence law at The American University Washington College of Law.

From 2003 to 2009, Professor Runge was Director of the Commission on Domestic Violence at the American Bar Association where she managed all aspects of Commission programming including developing training curricula for attorneys, writing articles and speaking domestically and internationally on various aspects of domestic violence and the legal response to domestic violence including the employment rights of domestic violence victims.  Previously, Professor Runge was Deputy Director and Coordinator of the Program on Women’s Employment Rights (POWER) at the D.C. Employment Justice Center and the Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Employment Project at the Employment Law Center, Legal Aid Society of San Francisco.  Professor Runge was the first George Washington University Law School graduate to receive an Equal Justice Fellowship from Equal Justice Works (formerly the National Association for Public Interest Law).  With her fellowship, Professor Runge created the Domestic Violence and Employment Project at the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco, one of the first programs in the country devoted exclusively to advocating for the employment rights of domestic violence victims.

Professor Runge’s scholarship and advocacy interests focus on the employment rights of low income women and the intersection of violence against women and employment law, including analysis of the Family and Medical Leave Act, Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, unemployment insurance, and employment protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Professor Runge is a member of the California Bar and District of Columbia Bar and is from Collinsville, Illinois, outside of St. Louis, Missouri.

EDUCATION
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
PUBLICATIONS
SELECTED RECENT INVITED PRESENTATIONS
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/ASSOCIATIONS & SERVICE
HONORS & AWARDS
LICENSURE

EDUCATION

The George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC
J.D., 1997
Member, Moot Court Board
Certified Student Litigator, Domestic Violence Clinic
Dean's Fellow, Legal Research and Writing Program
West Publishing Award, Clinical Achievement in Family Law
Baer Award for Individual Excellence

Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
B.A., cum laude, 1991, History and French

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

University of North Dakota School of Law, Grand Forks, ND - Summer 2009 – Present
Assistant Professor of Law, Employment and Housing Law Clinic

The George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC – Spring 2009
Adjunct Professor, Domestic Violence Law, 2 credit seminars

American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, DC - Spring 2005-2009
Adjunct Professor, Domestic Violence Law, 2 and 3 credit seminars

The George Washington University School of Law, Washington, DC – 2004-2009
Adjunct Professor, Public Interest Lawyering, externship classroom component for 4 credit course

PUBLICATIONS

Pam Paziotopoulos and Robin Runge, What Employers Can Do to Minimize the Impact of Domestic Violence and Stalking in the Workplace in Preventing and Managing Workplace Violence, Legal and Strategic Guidelines, Mark A. Lies, II, Editor (ABA 2008).

Robin R. Runge, Employment Rights of Sexual Assault Victims, Clearinghouse Review, Journal of Poverty Law and Policy, Vol. 40, Nos. 5-6, pp. 299-312 (September – October 2006).

Robin Runge, Editor (with Margaret Drew, Lisae Jordan, and Donna Mathews), The Impact of Domestic Violence On Your Legal Practice, A Lawyer’s Handbook, 2nd Edition; co-author, The Role of Law Schools in Increasing Access to Justice for Victims of Domestic Violence; author, Employer Liability and Domestic Violence Victims. (ABA 2004).

Margaret Drew, Lisae Jordan, Donna Mathews, Robin Runge, editors, The Impact of Domestic Violence On Your Legal Practice, A Lawyer’s Handbook, 2nd Edition; co-author, The Role of Law Schools in Increasing Access to Justice for Victims of Domestic Violence; author, Employer Liability and Domestic Violence Victims. (ABA 2004).

Robin R. Runge, It All Comes Down to Gender: The Supreme Court Considers State Immunity to the Family and Medical Leave Act, 29-SPG Hum. Rts. 4 (Fall 2002).

Robin R. Runge, Rebecca Smith, and Richard W. McHugh, Unemployment Insurance and Domestic Violence: Learning from Our Experiences, Seattle Journal for Social Justice, Vol. 1, Issue 2, (Fall/Winter 2002).

Robin Runge, Marcellene Hearn, and Spenta Cama, Domestic Violence as a Barrier to Employment, Clearinghouse Review, Journal of Poverty Law and Policy, Special Issue:  Barriers to Employment for Low Income Workers, Vol. 34, Nos. 9-10, pp. 552-562, (Jan. – Feb. 2001).

Robin Runge & Marcellene Hearn, Employment Rights Advocacy for Domestic Violence Victims, Domestic Violence Report, Vol. 5, No. 2 (December/January 2000) (reprinted in Domestic Violence Law, Ch. 16, Sec. B. Workplace Violence, Nancy Lemon, editor (West 2000)).

Robin Runge, Double Jeopardy:  Victims of Domestic Violence Face Twice the Abuse,
25-SPG Hum.Rts. 19 (Spring 1998).

SELECTED RECENT INVITED PRESENTATIONS

DOMESTIC

8th Annual National Crime Victim Law & Litigation Conference, National Crime Victim Law Institute, Portland, Oregon, June 30, 2009. Co-Presenter, Access to Justice For Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence with Disabilities.

Innovation Through Collaboration: Building a Community Response to Family Violence, hosted by the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence, April 29-May 1, 2009, Columbus, Ohio.
Presenter, Domestic Violence In the Workplace: Promising Practices to Decrease Liability and Responding to the Legal Needs of Victims of Domestic Violence: An Overview of the American Bar Association’s Standards of Practice for Civil Protection Order Cases.

American Bar Association Midyear Meeting, hosted by the ABA Young Lawyers Division, February 13, 2009, Boston, MA.
Panelist and Presenter, Strategies for Legislative Advocacy to Prevent Domestic Violence.

National Legal Aid and Defenders Association 2008 Annual Conference, November 20-21, 2009, Washington, DC.
Co-Presenter on 4 panels: ABA Standards for Attorneys Representing Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking in Civil Protection Order Cases, Creating Change and Achieving Justice for Victims of Domestic Violence, Serving LEP and Deaf Victims of Domestic Violence, Serving LEP and Deaf Clients in Civil Legal Aid and Defender Programs.

Third Judicial Circuit Family Violence Prevention Council Eleventh Annual Fall Training, October 22, 2009, Edwardsville, Illinois.
Presenter, The Cost and Impact of Domestic Violence in the Workplace and Illinois Law Regarding Employee and Employer Rights and Responsibilities:  Victims’ Security and Safety Act (VESSA) and Developing a Workplace Policy.

17th Annual Conference:  There’s No Excuse for Abuse, hosted by the Utah Domestic Violence Council, September 16, 2008, Salt Lake City, UT.
Plenary Presentation, Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence in the Workplace and workshop presenter, Employment Rights and Responsibilities Related to Domestic Violence.

Unemployment Insurance Appeals Boards Annual National Conference, June 11, 2008, Scottsdale, AZ.
Plenary Presentation, Unemployment Insurance for Victims of Domestic Violence.

17th Annual National Multidisciplinary Conference on Domestic Violence hosted by the National College of District Attorneys, October 30, 2007, Orlando, FL.
Keynote Presentation, Domestic Violence Sexual Assault, Stalking and Employment Rights for Survivors.

INTERNATIONAL

International Conference on Violence Against Women hosted by the Egyptian National Council for Women Combating Violence Against Women Project in Partnership with USAID, May 26-27, 2009, Cairo, Egypt. Presenter, U.S. Violence Against Women Act: Lessons Learned.

National Anti-Domestic Violence Network and Training for judges with the Supreme Court of the Peoples Republic of China co-hosted by the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in China, July 21-31, 2009, Beijing, China. Presenter, Evidence in Domestic Violence Cases, Mediation in Domestic Violence Cases, and a history of the development of Coordinated Community Responses to Domestic Violence in the U.S.

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

American Bar Association, Washington, DC - 2003-Summer 2009
Director, Commission on Domestic Violence

• Managed all aspects of Commission programming with the mission of improving access to justice for domestic violence victims by mobilizing the legal profession including development of the Commission’s policy, technical assistance and research priorities in consultation with ABA members, policy makers, advocates and staff; fundraising; staff recruitment and development and; budgeting.
• Spoke nationally and internationally, developed curricula for and provided trainings and wrote articles on various aspects of domestic violence and the legal response to domestic violence including the employment rights of domestic violence victims;
• Collaborated with other international, national, statewide, regional and local allies to develop effective policy and legislative strategies to advance the rights and needs of victims of domestic violence in the legal system and to provide national leadership, technical assistance and training to attorneys representing domestic violence victims.
• Managed several cooperative agreements from the Office on Violence Against Women at the U.S. Department of Justice to provide technical assistance and training to OVW-funded attorneys, specifically the Legal Assistance for Victims Program in collaboration with other national, regional and local violence against women organizations.

D.C. Employment Justice Center, Washington, DC - 2001 – 2003
Deputy Director & Coordinator, Program on Women’s Employment Rights (POWER)

• Created, developed and managed legal services, advocacy, and community education aspects of program advocating for and enforcing the employment rights of low-income working women;
• Provided legal assistance to workers in employment matters involving sex discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, family and medical leave, wage and hour violations, and unemployment insurance;
• Drafted public education materials and articles on sexual harassment, sex discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, the employment rights of domestic violence victims, unemployment insurance, and family and medical leave laws;
• Conducted trainings on the employment rights of low wage workers, specifically domestic violence victims;
• Recruited, hired, and supervised legal fellows, volunteer attorneys, and law students providing legal services including at weekly Workers’ Rights Clinics and in handling casework.

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Washington, DC 2000 – 2001
Public Policy Specialist

• Drafted, analyzed, tracked, reviewed, and commented on federal legislation and national policy issues regarding battered women and their children including the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act;
• Advocated for NCADV’s policy agenda with members of Congress, the Administration and coalition partners;
• Gathered and analyzed information about barriers to safety, justice, and economic security that face battered women and their children;
• Recruited, hired, and supervised staff and volunteers.

Employment Law Center, Legal Aid Society of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA -1997 - 2000
Fellow/Project Attorney, Domestic Violence and Employment Project

• Developed innovative legal theories and provided legal assistance to domestic violence victims about their employment rights, including drafting charges of discrimination, pleadings, and representation in administrative hearings;
• Researched, drafted and disseminated first of their kind public education materials, including fact sheets describing a domestic violence victim’s rights under state and federal anti-discrimination employment laws such as Title VII, the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act;
• Conducted research and drafted pleadings in Family and Medical Leave Act and sexual harassment litigation.
• Created and supervised the Employment Rights Clinic for Battered Women at a local domestic violence victim service provider agency;
• Conducted trainings and presentations about the employment rights of domestic violence victims for advocates, attorneys, and human resource professionals at conferences nationwide;
• Provided technical assistance to attorneys and domestic violence victim advocates nationwide;
• Assisted in drafting and testified in support of three pieces of landmark legislation passed in California that created employment rights for domestic violence victims including access to unemployment insurance and job-guaranteed leave.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Washington, DC - Spring 1997
Law Clerk for Commissioner Paul S. Miller

• Researched and drafted memoranda on aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII;
• Drafted portions of an article analyzing and criticizing the backlash against the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Employment Law Center, Legal Aid Society of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA -Summer 1996
Law Clerk

• Drafted memoranda on gender-based employment discrimination and the Family and Medical Leave Act for prospective impact litigation;

• Conducted client interviews and provided legal advice to low income workers in the Workers' Rights and Work and Family Clinics.

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Washington, DC - Summer 1995
Law Clerk, Employment Litigation and Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices Sections

• Researched and wrote memoranda incorporated into briefs on Title VII, post-Adarand v. Pena affirmative action, the Immigration Reform and Control Act and retaliatory discharge.

National Partnership for Women and Families, Washington, DC - 1993 - 1994
Program Assistant, Work and Family Program

• Assisted in the collection and review of comments on the final regulations of the Family and Medical Leave Act;

• Responded to requests for legal assistance and amicus participation in sex discrimination and Family and Medical Leave Act cases;

• Handled requests for research and statistics about sex harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/ASSOCIATIONS & SERVICE

Member, American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Section on Clinical Legal Education - 2009-present
Member, Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) - 2009-present
Member, American Bar Association - 1997- 2003, 2009
Vice-Chair, Women's Rights Committee, Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section, ABA (1998-2003)
Advisory Board Member, Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (2003-Present)
Board Member, District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH) (2008-2009)
Member, Mayor’s DC Commission on Women (December 2006-December 2008)
Board Co-Chair & Member, Women Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE) (2001-2005, Co-Chair 2005)
Volunteer, Workers’ Rights Clinic, D.C. Employment Justice Center (2003-2009)
Volunteer, My Sister’s Place, domestic violence hotline in Washington, D.C. (2002-2003)

HONORS & AWARDS

Recipient, Mathew O. Tobriner Public Service Award, Legal Aid Society, Employment Law Center (2007)
Recipient, Board of Directors Award,WOMAN, Inc. (2000)
Nominee, Young Women of Achievement Award,Women’s Information Network (2003, 2005)

LICENSURE

Member of the California and District of Columbia Bars.