James J. McDonald, Jr., J.D., SHRM-SCP, is a partner in the Irvine, California, office of the labor and employment law firm Fisher & Phillips LLP. His practice involves trials, arbitrations, and appeals of employment law claims. He also has more than 30 years' experience advising California employers about all aspects of labor and employment law, strategic human resource issues, and how to avoid employment claims and lawsuits. He has spoken before at many human resource, business, and industry organizations and he taught labor and employment law in the Human Resources Management Program at the University of California, Irvine, for 16 years. He received his undergraduate degree from New College of Florida and his law degree cum laude from Georgetown University.