Advocating for Workers with Navruz Avloni

Feminist Founders

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable me to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission, sign up for a paid Substack subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/

SUMMARY: Navruz Avloni, a formidable attorney defending civil rights across California, discusses her path from a childhood in communist Uzbekistan to litigating high-profile cases like Diaz v. Tesla, advocating passionately for victims of workplace discrimination. She shares insights on leaving a partnership to start her own firm, navigating a male-dominated industry with feminist values, and the complex impacts of the #MeToo movement on legal practices. Navruz's story is not only inspiring but also a powerful call to challenge systemic injustices and transform the legal landscape.

-----

Navruz Avloni (she/her) is a committed attorney and advocate who fights vigorously for important civil rights in courts throughout California. She is recognized for her ability to see the big picture in every case she litigates and for being a tenacious and passionate litigator for victims of sexual assault and wronged employees. She has a proven track record of obtaining favorable results for her clients in race discrimination, disability discrimination, sexual harassment, and whistleblower cases. In her over a decade of litigation experience, Navruz has represented clients in high-profile cases such as Kepnach, et al v. Four Barrel Coffee, Diaz v. Tesla, and Vaughn v. Tesla.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Discussed in this episode:

• Why Navruz is a proud and passionate feminist
• How a childhood spent in communist Uzbekistan played a role in Navruz’s career choice
• Choosing to be a plaintiff’s lawyer vs. a higher-paid corporate defense attorney
• Working up to partner at a firm and then leaving to start her own firm
• How Navruz is bringing her feminist values into a male-dominated industry
• Why the legal industry, often deservedly, gets a bad reputation — and how Navruz is challenging those norms
• How the legal industry often creates burnout (and the tools Navruz employs to avoid it)
• Why the legal system is the center of a feminist future
• Why so few victims of workplace misconduct take their cases to court.
• How the #MeToo movement did—and didn’t—change workplace lawsuits
• Bad apples vs. bad policies in workplace lawsuits
• How to avoid bad apples (and legal damages from them) in your own business
• Tips for avoiding common mistakes among even well-meaning employers
• The importance of doing your best to fix an employer mistake
• Why Navruz typically won’t represent plaintiffs against small businesses

Resources:

• Patrick Lencioni on healthy workplace cultures
• “Dream Big and Win: Translating passion into purpose and creating a billion-dollar business” by Liz Elting
• Empower Work

Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com