Kristina Doan Gruenberg: Burke, Williams & Sorensen
Hey Listers, we’re pleased to present the California Women’s List Rockstars of the Month, spotlighting you, the very special leaders in our network. We all know amazing and inspiring people in our lives who are leaders in their community, at work, in their homes, across the state and across the country, and this is our way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make California Women’s List what it is. This month’s Lister is Kristina Doan Gruenberg.
When half of your graduating class is women and you work at a firm like mine where there are a substantial number of female attorneys, it is easy to forget how far women have had to come.

What do you do and why?
I am a civil litigation attorney representing public entities (cities, counties, state agencies, universities, and law enforcement). When my parents immigrated to this country, they were able to become successful based on a combination of hard work and programs such as Pell Grants. Their experience demonstrated the good that government can do, and I always wanted to find a way to incorporate public service into my profession.
What is your current state of mind?
Last year was a difficult year as my husband passed away unexpectedly due to medical reasons. I was fortunate to receive amazing support from family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers who reached out. It is kind of a crazy thing to go through when you’re just 30 years old, but I learned a lot about the compassion of others, and what is important to me. I am more grateful for what I have and am trying to be more adventurous. While it may just be another day on the calendar, a new year does feel like a fresh start. I am looking forward to new experiences and opportunities in 2016.
Who is your mentor or who do you mentor?
One of my most formative mentors is the judge I clerked for in Washington, DC. Not only did he teach me a great deal about the law substantively, he also instilled in me the importance of treating everyone with respect and civility. I think that can be lost even among the best of us in the world of law or politics as we are zealously advocating for our side or cause.
Knowing how much I have benefited from having so many great mentors, I volunteer to be a mentor for my alma mater. (Go Bruins!) One of my mentees is actually how I got introduced to California Women’s List.
When have you seen your mother most powerful?
My mom recently did a StoryCorp interview with my grandmother about their experience as refugees. It was very moving. My mom was the oldest of eight siblings when she came to the United States as a teenager, and helped my grandmother raise her younger siblings while my grandfather was still in Vietnam. When I feel exhausted, I think about how my mom went to school, worked, and took care of her family in a new country. My mom has always been the most kind and selfless person I know. I am glad she was able to share her story and that her role in our family history will be preserved for many future generations to listen to.
How do you think women can help other women succeed?
When half of your graduating class is women and you work at a firm like mine where there are a substantial number of female attorneys, it is easy to forget how far women have had to come. However, there are frequent reminders we have not reached full equality. I have a lot of friends who wonder how having children and taking leave will affect their careers. So on a broad level, it is important for women to be advocates for promoting equality even if the workplace we are in does not have problems or an issue does not directly pertain to us.
On a more day to day level, women can use each other as a support network and not view each other as competition. When I went to law school, I formed a very tight knit bond with a group of females. Even though we all live in different parts of the country and have entered different fields, we keep in touch and share our experiences with each other. I am also fortunate that I work for two female partners who seem to genuinely care about my career trajectory and me as a person. Having that support is invaluable.
What song do you listen to when you’re getting pumped and why?
My cases take me all over California. If you see someone on the 5 Freeway rocking out to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” that might be me getting pumped for my next court hearing.
What’s on your ‘List’ in 2016?
Travel, yoga, and Kamala Harris for Senate.
