Kalpana Kotagal was nominated by President Biden and joined the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as a Commissioner in August 2023.
Before joining the Commission, Commissioner Kotagal was a partner at Cohen Milstein, where she was a member of the firm’s Civil Rights & Employment practice group and chaired the firm’s Hiring & Diversity Committee. For nearly two decades, Commissioner Kotagal represented marginalized groups in employment and civil rights class actions. Her cases often involved cutting-edge issues related to Title VII, the Equal Pay Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, as well as wage and hour issues and the non-discrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act.
Commissioner Kotagal graduated with honors from both Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Law. She also clerked for Judge Betty Fletcher on the Ninth Circuit. The Commissioner has dedicated her career to supporting workers and championing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. A daughter of immigrants from India, Commissioner Kotagal is the first female Commissioner of Indian descent.
