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Marilynn Mika Spencer
also known as Mika Spencer, Marilynn Spencer
About Marilynn Mika
Biography
⏺️ Please scroll down for important information.
Marilynn Mika Spencer is an employment rights attorney representing working people. She practices exclusively in the fields of labor law, employment law, and employee benefits, including ERISA. She focuses on representing people with mental and physical disabilities, federal sector employees, and labor organizations.
Ms. Spencer earned her law degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law. Before becoming an attorney, Ms. Spencer was involved in labor relations between UCLA and the labor union American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), serving as an AFSCME contract negotiator, Council representative, steward, and Secretary-Treasurer.
For 12 years, Ms. Spencer was on the Executive Board of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) – the largest and most influential plaintiffs employment bar association in California. She was a Member of and Advisor to the State Bar of California's Executive Committee for the Labor and Employment Section. Ms. Spencer is a Past Chair of the Personnel Appeals Board, City of La Mesa. She is a 2007 San Diego SuperLawyer (Employment/Labor; Employment Benefits/ERISA).
Ms. Spencer is a co-author of a chapter on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for the National Lawyers Guild publication Employee and Union Member Guide to Labor Law, published by Clark Boardman Callaghan (now West Group). Her articles have appeared in a number of periodicals and journals, including Medical Trial Technique Quarterly and Crooks & Liars.
⏺️ Important Information from Marilynn Mika Spencer:
I am partially retired and accept cases on a limited basis. For referrals, please contact the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), or Workplace Fairness. Avvo does not allow us to include web site information in this section but you can find these organizations by a simple Web search.
I am working remotely. The best way to reach me is by the e-mail address listed with my address. You can send me a message here on Avvo but I may not see it right away; therefore, please continue to search for other representation or information options.
Practice Areas
4
Practice Areas
Employment and Labor
50%
36 years
Discrimination
20%
36 years
Wrongful Termination
20%
36 years
Class Action
10%
26 years
Fees and Rates
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in California for 35 years
State: California
Acquired: 1990
No misconduct found
Location
M M Spencer Law Offices
[email protected], 3911 Cleveland Ave. 34515, San Diego, CA, 92103
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Marilynn Mika Spencer's Reviews
Showing 1 - 5 of 23 client reviews from Avvo
Posted by Trobi126 | October 29, 2018 | Consulted Attorney
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
Ms. Spencer is Great!
Ms. Spencer provided great legal advice and assistance which provided me with great insight regarding my situation. She is thorough and very knowledgeable.
Marilynn Mika Spencer
Replied last November 14, 2018Thank you! It was my pleasure to assist you. Marilynn Mika Spencer
Posted by Chris | May 15, 2018 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Praise for both Mika Spencer and Avvo.com
I found a question someone posted here on Avvo.com that was similar to my own situation. What got my attention was how the answer Mika Spencer gave was valuable in and of itself, rather than purely an attempt to pitch a sale. So we communicated through this website, and I eventually hired her and her...
Posted by Cody mina | March 12, 2018 | Consulted Attorney
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
Employment
Marilynn took her time to read my case and she gave a well explained answer to my question
Posted by anonymous | December 21, 2017 | Consulted Attorney
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
star only review
This attorney was very knowledgeable and very through. I appreciate her insight and the time she took to explain and answer my questions.
Posted by Edna | October 6, 2017 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
She is a bad-ass lawyer!
Mika is my lawyer and we spent the last five days together as she conducted depositions regarding my case and was also by my side during my deposition. During my deposition I kept thinking how thankful I was that she was MY lawyer and she was not deposing me. Her words, "don't be scared, be strong" k...
Marilynn Mika Spencer's Lawyer Endorsements
"I endorse this lawyer. I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Spencer on a case recently. What impressed me most was her tenaciousness when it came to obtaining compensation for her client. The case we worked on was one of disability discrimination, and although it appeared that there were some significant hurdles to overcome regarding the amount of damages, she pushed hard and was able to obtain a significant result for her client. Ms. Spencer has the knowledge, experience, and passion for representing workers that have suffered discrimination in the workplace. If you are looking for an attorney to represent you pertaining to a failure to accommodate a disability, wrongful termination, or other work-related discrimination, then you would do well to engage Ms. Spencer."
"From her detailed and thoughtful responses on the avvo.com web site, it is clear that attorney Marilyn Mika Spencer knows employment and discrimination law inside and out, and has the right stuff."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"When it comes to ethics and concern for clients, this attorney goes above and beyond, I highly endorse this attorney for legal representation. Not only are they a well respected member of their community but a respected member in the legal field."
"An extremely talented and well respected attorney in the legal community, I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a lawyer who knows the law and truly cares about protecting the rights of her clients and getting them the most favorable result possible."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Marilynn Spencer is an experienced attorney whose participation and comments in Avvo show her commitment to serving clients very well. She is an excellent attorney that I recommend wholeheartedly."
"I endorse this lawyer. Mika stepped into cover a deposition for me on a very important matter. She was not only a quick study but she did a superb job. Her analysis of the matter was outstanding. Her grasp on how the deposition would impact my case was wholly impressive. Her works product was superb. I would highly recommend her"
"I endorse this lawyer. It is clear by reading the answers in the AVVO community that this lawyer is a top notch attorney who is highly respected in the legal community."
"Marilynn Mika Spencer knows her stuff! If you need an employment law attorney, she's the one to call. There is a reason she's been named a Super Lawyer and San Diego Top Lawyer. Actually, there are many reasons! To name a few, she is helpful, straightforward, and genuinely likeable. I highly recommend Ms. Spencer."
"Ms. Spencer is an excellent attorney and provides detailed, thorough and comprehensive responses to questions. I highly recommend her."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Ms. Spender has made a substantial number of contributions on Avvo.com. I have looked over several of her contributions and have found them to be thoughtful, informative and practical. I endorse this lawyer's work."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I have the pleasure of knowing Ms. Spencer through our membership in the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA). Ms. Spencer is a veteran advocate for workers' rights, and a highly respected member of the plaintiffs' employment bar."
"I endorse this lawyer.For employment questions in the San Diego area she is one of the lawyers for clients to look to for the proper advisement. She provides specific and to the point answers that carefully address all issues raised by the inquiries received from the AVVO readers."
"I endorse this lawyer. Attorney Spencer is a very experienced attorney in her field and is highly respected in her legal community. She has demonstrated depth of experience and knowledge with her long career of service to clients."
"Attorney Spencer is a knowledgeable lawyer who is generous with her time and expertise. I recommend her."
"I endorse Mika Spencer. She is a highly respected litigator and top labor and employment law contributor on AVVO, a tireless source of insight and legal citation, and a wonderful human being. Mika is a true friend to employees in need of fast answers on AVVO."
"I highly recommend this attorney. Very intelligent and very thorough when analyzing legal issues! She is an asset to the AVVO and legal community."
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Experience
Honors
2012
San Diego Top Lawyer, San Diego Best Lawyers / SD Metro
2007
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
Work Experience
2020 - Present
Attorney At Law, M M Spencer Law Offices
2000 - 2003
Chair, Personnel Appeals Board, City of La Mesa
1999 - 2003
Labor and Employment Law, Labor Studies Program, San Diego Community College District
1999 - 2003
Administrative Law and Procedure, Labor Agencies, Labor Studies Program, San Diego Community College District
1995 - 1997
Staff Attorney, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union 465
1994 - 2020
Partner or Owner, Spencer Johnson LLP (formerly The Spencer Law Firm; Spencer Johnson McCammon LLP)
1984 - 1987
Secretary-Treasurer, Steward, Council Representative, Delegate, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Local 3235
Associations
1993 - Present
National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)Affiliate Leader
1990 - Present
National Lawyers GuildMember
1990 - Present
National Lawyers Guild, Labor and Employment CommitteeMember
2011 - 2015
State Bar of California, Litigation SectionMember
2009 - 2011
California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA)Secretary
2004 - 2007
State Bar of California, Labor and Employment Law SectionAdvisory Board
2003 - 2015
California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA)Board of Directors
2001 - 2004
State Bar of California, Labor and Employment Law SectionExecutive Committee
1995 - 2020
California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA)Member
1994 - 2019
National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)Member
1992 - 2004
National Lawyers Guild, Labor and Employment CommitteeSteering Committee
1991 - 2017
AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating CommitteeMember
1990 - 2020
State Bar of California, Labor and Employment Law SectionMember
Sample of Legal Cases
Wrongful Termination / Disability Discrimination / Failure to Accommodate
Three years' pay, clean file, reference letter.
Due Process and Property Rights Violations
Substantial financial settlement, clear record, reference letter.
Discrimination
Successfully achieved promotion and back pay.
Defamation and unemployment claim
Financial damages and successful unemployment claim.
Unpaid wages
Economic recovery: back pay, front pay, penalties, interest. Reimbursement: attorney's fees, costs. Other: Positive letter of reference, retraining program, clear file of all discipline..
Disability discrimination and refusal to provide reasonable accommodation (public school employee)
Successfully obtained reasonable accommodation for employee, recision of notice of intent to dismiss, and removal of all negative information from employee's file.
Whistleblower discrimination / Case I.D. confidential
Money damages (six figures); retraining course; letter of reference; written apology; company had to correct safety violations and post related notices in all locations nation-wide.
Sheppard v. North Orange County Regional Occupational Program, 191 Cal. App. 4th 289 (2010)
Successful appeal & class certification
University faculty (tenured) discipline
Successfully defended against allegations and negotiated settlement with no penalty to professor.
Disability discrimination / Case I.D. confidential
Successfully negotiated settlement agreement allowing continued employment.
Age discrimination / Case I.D. confidential
Case resolved for substantial financial damages (mid-six figures)
University faculty (pre-tenure) discipline
Successfully negotiated settlement agreement allowing continued employment.
Hunter v. Prouty, General Services Administration, EEOC No. 550-2008-00155X; MSPB No. SF-0752-09-1463-I-1
Successfully resolved case (six figures in compensatory damages, plus cleaning all negative references from employee's file)
Race discrimination / Case ID confidential
Successful negotiation of six-figure settlement agreement, race sensitivity and discrimination training for all management employees, clearing all negative references from employee file, and other compensation.
Disability discrimination / Case ID confidential
Successfully negotiated six-figure settlement.
University faculty (pre-tenure) discipline
Successfully negotiated settlement agreement
Sexual harassment / Case ID confidential
Successfully negotiated six-figure settlement agreement allowing client to return to school and pursue her professional career.
Disability discrimination and ERISA employee benefits
After filing federal lawsuit, successfully negotiated approval of disability benefits, payment of back benefits, compensation for emotional distress and payment of attorney's fees.
Kent v. Lambesis / Lambesis v. Kent
Successfully defended against Superior Court action and negotiated settlement agreement resulting in overall payment of $420,000 client.
Education
1990
University of California at Los Angeles School of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
1985
University of California, Los Angeles
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Speaking Engagements
2014
NAMI San Diego
Employment Disability Discrimination & Reasonable Accommodation
2013
20th Annual OCD Conference
Ask an Attorney! What Are my Rights on the Job?
2012
Teaching to Transgress
Using Disability Law: A Practical Toolkit
2012
San Diego County Bar Association
So You Think You've Got a Case? What Every Attorney Should Know about Employment Law
2012
California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) 25th Annual Conference
Legislative and Arbitration Update (moderator)
2010
International Obsessive Compulsive Foundation Annual Conference
Employment Law and OCD Hooray for the ADA! Woo-Hoo for the FMLA!
2010
California Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference
Mind over Matter: Mental Health Disabilities, Law and Practice Tips
2009
Obsessive Compulsive Foundation Annual Conference
The Law Is Finally on Your Side! Recent Changes in the ADA Can Help You Stay Employed and Insured: What People with OCD Need to Know
2008
Obsessive Compulsive Foundation Annual Conference
OCD and the Law Getting: and Keeping a Job
2007
Not Another Moment Lost to Seizures
Know Your Rights! Employment and Epilepsy
2007
Navigating Narcolepsy: 2007 National Conference
Narcolepsy on the Job: Staying Employed & Staying Insured
2006
California Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference
It's the Same but Different: Representing Federal Employoees
Publications
1996
Union Member Guide to Labor and Employment Law
Workers With Disabilities: ADA and Other Laws
1992
Medical Trial Technique Quarterly
Who Owns the Test?
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Guides
Legal Answers
Q&A
Reasonable Accommodation Denial?
08 Oct 2025
Q&A
Do I likely have California claims and venue against a former employer despite residing in TX & Georgia forum-selection clause?
22 Sep 2025
Q&A
Is it illegal for a lawyer to look up my background or my families to speak bad conduct on me and report things to my employer?
22 May 2024
Legal Guides
Legal Guide
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Intermittent Leave
12 Mar 2015
Legal Guide
Should I Be Paid For Standby Time? (California Law)
05 Aug 2013
Legal Guide
Pay Dates for California Employees
08 Oct 2012