Jay J. Shin '07

For seven years, Jay Shin championed workers’ rights in bankruptcies and corporate shell litigation as a legal services attorney.  One of his many hard-fought worker victories involved the misclassification of truck drivers.  The drivers were creditors of reorganizing trucking companies in several chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings amidst an industrywide, litigation-driven restructuring.  During the extensive bankruptcy litigation in each of these reorganization proceedings, which ranged from the valuation of siphoned-off going concerns to the equitable consolidation of non-debtor assets and liabilities into the estate, Mr. Shin held individuals accountable for the acts committed through their corporate shells.  Mr. Shin also recovered unpaid wages through liens and levies for low wage workers, and expedited prosecution of mechanic’s liens for day laborers.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Shin worked tirelessly as a debtors’ rights, tenants’ rights and workers’ rights attorney in private practice and for nonprofit organizations.  He also served as an administrative law judge presiding over California state hearings involving public benefits.  Spanning across various economic justice practice areas, Mr. Shin safeguarded the due process rights of the working poor and other vulnerable populations accessing the legal system.

In the spring of 2021, Mr. Shin returned to enforcing the state’s labor laws.  He is a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice in the Worker Rights and Fair Labor Standards Section.  Mr. Shin brings his wealth of experience to a team of legal professionals who are committed to upholding the state’s labor protection measures.  In December 2021, Mr. Shin is looking forward to teaching his fourth January Intersession course - Wage Theft in the Underground Economies - at Southwestern during a time when unprecedented public health concerns heighten the importance of protecting the most vulnerable workers.