Jocelyn D. Larkin, the Deputy Director of the Impact Fund, has been appointed the organization's new Executive Director. She replaces founder Brad Seligman, who is stepping down and will assume a new position as Senior Counsel in which he will continue to work on Fund cases.

Larkin joined the Impact Fund staff in 2000. She has directed its training programs and litigated cases for the Fund including employment class actions against Wal-Mart, Costco, and the Arizona supermarket chain Bashas' and a police misconduct class action against the City of Antioch. Larkin developed the Impact Fund's Class Action Training Institute, a three-day training course for public interest lawyers held annually. She is a frequent speaker on employment and class action law and serves on the ABA Class Action and Derivative Suits Committee. A graduate of UCLA School of Law, she was a partner at Saperstein, Seligman, Mayeda & Larkin and Ryu Dickey & Larkin prior to joining the Impact Fund.

Seligman hailed the elevation of Larkin: "Jocelyn has been integral to the success of the Impact Fund and fully shares my vision of its goals. There isn't a better person to lead the Impact Fund into its next stage."

Abby Ginzberg, a long-time member of the Impact Fund's Board of Directors stated: "We are delighted to appoint Jocelyn as the new Executive Director since she has committed herself to the Fund for many years and is poised to take the organization to a new level. We are grateful that there will be organizational continuity since Brad will continue as a member of the Board of Directors as well as Senior Counsel, ensuring a smooth transition."

Larkin commented on her promotion: "I am honored to assume responsibility for the Impact Fund. Brad's vision and leadership have created a successful and well-respected organization, with a unique and vital mission. I am committed to leading the organization forward, and I am thankful that Brad will remain involved in our future."

Seligman founded the Impact Fund in 1992. Since then, it has granted over $5,000,000 to support class action civil rights cases across the country and has facilitated scores of CLE programs on class action and related subjects. It has led many amicus coalitions and litigated class action cases. The organization is lead counsel in the Dukes v. Wal-Mart case, the largest civil rights class action in history. In April, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, sitting en banc, upheld the class certification in that case.