Julia Figueira-McDonough

Julia Figueira-McDonough is the Associate Vice President of Economic Justice at Bet Tzedek. She brings over two decades of experience advancing the rights of low-wage workers, immigrants, and underserved communities through litigation, policy advocacy, and strategic enforcement. Her career has spanned legal services, government, philanthropy, and academia — making her uniquely equipped to lead and expand Bet Tzedek’s economic justice work.

Most recently, Julia served as a Senior Direct Care Research Fellow at UC Berkeley Law’s Center for Law & Work and as a Care Workforce Fellow at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau. In these roles, she conducted legal and policy analysis on wage and hour laws, advised on care workforce issues, and supported equitable implementation of federal infrastructure investments.

Julia’s deep roots in worker justice include her tenure as Senior Counsel at the California Labor Commissioner’s Office, where she led the Criminal Investigation Unit and spearheaded efforts to combat wage theft and protect immigrant workers from retaliation. Earlier in her career, she litigated landmark cases on behalf of garment workers and day laborers at organizations including the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Legal Aid at Work, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

Her extensive experience will be invaluable as we continue to grow our support for low-wage workers, small businesses, and taxpayers — ensuring that our economic systems are fair, inclusive, and just.