Ninth Circuit Workplace RelationsThe Office of Workplace Relations was established in January 2019 and is the first of its kind in the federal judiciary. It leads the Ninth Circuit's efforts in preventing and resolving workplace issues through the implementation of the Ninth Circuit Employment Dispute Resolution Policy and related policies, initiatives, and trainings. The office also provides support and expert advice on workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion matters.

Establishing the Office of Workplace Relations was one of the foremost recommendations of the Ninth Circuit Workplace Environment Committee, which is chaired by Senior Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown. Maintaining a healthy and productive workplace for all employees will continue to be the highest priority for the Ninth Circuit.

  • Employee Dispute Resolution
    EDR

    Click here to access the Ninth Circuit EDR Policy and FPDO EDR Policy

  • DEI
    DEI

    The Ninth Circuit is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.

  • Resources
    Report

    Report to the Ninth Circuit Office of Workplace Relations, an EDR Coordinator or to the Office of Judicial Integrity.

Employee Rights
Your Employee Rights and How to Report Wrongful Conduct

Download Poster, find policies and learn how to report wrongful conduct.

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Employment Dispute Resolution Policy
Ninth Circuit Employment Dispute Resolution Policy and Commitment to a Fair and Respectful Workplace

Judicial Council Approved: 10/22/2020
Effective date: 10/22/2020

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Confidential Communication

Meet the Team

The Ninth Circuit Office of Workplace Relations serves all 63 court units throughout the Ninth Circuit, including the Court of Appeals, district and bankruptcy courts, probation and pretrial offices, and federal public defender offices.

Mary Gaber Thompson (she/her/hers)
Director of Workplace Relations

Mary Gaber Thompson joined the Office of Workplace Relations as Director of Workplace Relations (DWR) on August 28, 2023. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Thompson was the first Fifth Circuit DWR, where she spent four years serving as a workplace conduct resource for judges, court unit executives, managers, employees, and Employment Dispute Resolution (EDR) Coordinators; facilitating EDR options for resolution; and conducting workplace conduct trainings. Ms. Thompson serves on the Administrative Office of the United States DWR Peer Advisory Group and previously served on the Model EDR Plan Working Group, which drafted the 2019 Model EDR Plan. Including her time as DWR, Ms. Thompson has nine years of experience as a federal judiciary employee in the Fifth Circuit, with prior roles as an administrative attorney and circuit mediator in the Circuit Mediation and Judicial Support Office and as a CJA law clerk for the Appellate Conference Attorney’s Office. Ms. Thompson received her B.A. from the University of California, Davis, and her J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law, graduating Order of the Coif.

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