Gay Carroll-Haring opened the Law Offices of Gay Carroll-Haring in Sacramento in 2002, and for the next 22 years she operated one of Northern California's most respected boutique plaintiff's employment law practices. Her firm focused exclusively on one side of the employment relationship: the worker.
Over the course of her career, Gay successfully resolved hundreds of cases involving the full spectrum of employment law — from sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination, to disability accommodation, misclassification of independent contractors, executive severance negotiations, and appeals of unemployment benefit denials. There was no employer — large or small, public or private — she hesitated to confront.
What distinguished Gay's practice was not only her results but her method. As a carefully selective solo practitioner, she was able to offer each client something the large firms could not: genuine one-on-one, hands-on representation from the attorney they hired, from intake through resolution. This commitment to personal service — rooted in trust, communication, and deep knowledge of each client's life — became the defining characteristic of the Law Offices of Gay Carroll-Haring.
Gay was also a pioneer in bringing technology to the solo legal practice. An avid Apple user, she leveraged the latest tools to make her firm as efficient and responsive as any operation many times its size. Her expertise made her a sought-after speaker for bar associations, law schools, and legal organizations on the subject of running a modern solo practice — a passion she pursued throughout her career alongside her speaking engagements on plaintiff's employment law.
Before the law, Gay's path was already wide and interesting. She served as Public Affairs Director for the California Arts Council, appointed by Governor Pete Wilson — where she spearheaded the Council's first-ever website and led California state government's pioneering use of PDF distribution, replacing mountains of printed material and opening the door for other agencies to do the same. She also served as Editor for HealthSpan Communications, a Sacramento-based publishing company, and developed deep roots in legal practice as a litigation and transactional law assistant before attending law school.
Gay is a graduate of the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law (J.D., with Honors, Roger Traynor Honor Society) and California State University, Sacramento (B.A., Magna Cum Laude, Government-Journalism). She attended seminary earlier in life, is an accomplished vocalist, and brings to everything she does a depth of character shaped by wide experience and genuine curiosity about the world.
She is married to Dr. Raymond V. Haring, nationally recognized author, educator, and speaker.
