Darren Vaughn

Associate Attorney

Darren represents employees in a wide range of employment matters, including claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblowing, and failure to accommodate disabilities. Raised by his mother, an immigrant from Guatemala, Darren witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by many hardworking families, which inspired him to practice plaintiff-side employment law. As the first lawyer in his family, he brings a perspective shaped by his upbringing and is passionate about helping employees enforce their rights and navigate the often unequal balance of power in the workplace.

Prior to law school, Darren worked as a Community Education Advocate at Legal Assistance for Seniors where he presented to groups of seniors about their legal rights and Medicare benefits while answering their questions. He also conducted client intakes, speaking with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds to assess their needs and determine whether the organization could assist.

Darren graduated magna cum laude from the University of California College of the Law San Francisco. During law school, he served as the Senior Acquisitions Editor of UC Law Constitutional Quarterly. He also received the CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in Trial Advocacy and Administrative Law.

Throughout law school, Darren engaged in hands-on advocacy. As a participant in the Workers’ Rights Clinic, he interviewed low-income workers about workplace issues and collaborated with supervising attorneys to identify potential legal claims and provide legal advice. As part of the Individual Representation Clinic, Darren assisted in the representation of an employee in a wage and hour dispute before the Superior Court of California.

During his first summer of law school, Darren returned to Legal Assistance for Seniors as a summer law clerk, assisting attorneys with housing and guardianship matters. During the following summer, he joined Legal Aid at Work as a summer law clerk during which he advocated for workers’ rights. While there, Darren represented a client in a Berman Hearing before the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and successfully obtained an award worth more than $1 million for the client.

Darren is committed to providing empathetic, responsive representation and guiding clients with compassion, integrity, and tenacity.

Education

University of California, College of the Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings)
JD: Work Law Concentration, Individual Representation Clinic, Workers’ Rights Clinic, Senior Acquisitions Editor – UC Law Constitutional Quarterly, UC Law SF Honor Society, CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in Trial Advocacy & Administrative Law.

University of Southern California
BA: Law, History, and Culture.

Court Admissions

• California