Senate Confirms Kotagal as New EEOC Commissioner

On Thursday, July 13^th, in a 49 to 47 vote, the Senate confirmed Democrat Kalpana Kotagal as commissioner to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for a term that expires in July 2027. Kotagal’s confirmation now gives the Democrats majority control over the EEOC. Kotagal is one of three commissioners who will serve with fellow Democrats Charlotte Burrows, Chair and Jocelyn Samuels, Vice-Chair.

Kotagal is currently a partner in Cohen Milstein's Civil Rights & Employment practice and co-chair of the firm’s Hiring and Diversity Committee. Ms. Kotagal is also co-author of the "Inclusion Rider," an actor or filmmaker’s contract provision supporting diverse hiring.

Two other nominations for the EEOC are pending. Charlotte Burrow’s term was due to expire in July of this year, but Biden has renominated her to serve a third five-year term with the EEOC. In addition, Biden’s nominee for EEOC’s general counsel is Karla Gilbride, most recently a Sr. Attorney with Public Justice, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization. Republican commissioners Keith Sonderling and Andrea Lucas have terms expiring in July 2024 and 2025, respectively.