The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has appointed five new Administrative Law Judges (ALJs): David Goldman, Lisa Dunn, Stephanie Cotilla Eitzen, Zuzana Murarova, and Steven Wyllie.  They were chosen after a rigorous vetting process.

David Goldman returns to the Judges Division after serving for five years as Chief Counsel to Board Member David Prouty.  Before joining Member Prouty, he was an NLRB judge for over fifteen years.  He previously worked as an attorney in the Board’s Appellate Court Branch and as an Assistant and Associate General Counsel for the United Steelworkers of America.  He received his B.A. degree from the University of North Carolina and his J.D. degree from Columbia University.  He will be assigned to the D.C. office of the Judges Division.

Lisa Dunn has been a supervisory trial attorney in the Board’s Region 28 office in Phoenix, Arizona, for the past two years. Previously, she was a trial attorney in the Board’s Region 28 and Subregion 36 offices in Phoenix and Portland, Oregon, for eighteen years.  In addition to frequently serving as trial attorney in unfair labor practice hearings, she often presided as hearing officer in pre- and post-election representation case hearings, including several complex and high-profile hearings. Before joining the Board, she spent three years litigating labor and employment cases for the Department of Defense and two years focusing on similar work in private practice.  She received her B.A. degree from the University of Notre Dame and her J.D. degree from Lewis and Clark Law School. She will take her assignments from the Division’s West Coast office.

Stephanie Cotilla Eitzen has been a trial attorney in the Board’s Region 05 for the past twenty-three years, where she has handled multiple important cases and trained and mentored new field attorneys in litigation assignments.  A fluent Spanish speaker, she received her B.S. degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Florida and her J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center.  She will take her assignments from the Division’s Washington D.C. office.

Zuzana Murarova comes to the Judges Division from private practice where she represented unions in Board and other matters for the past two years.  Before that she served as a trial attorney with the Board’s Region 09 for eleven years.  She was promoted to supervisory attorney for Region 06 in 2022 and to Regional Attorney in the same office in 2023.  She received her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Northwestern University and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.  She will be assigned to the Division’s D.C. office.

Steven Wyllie returns to the Board after a short stint as an administrative law judge with the California Agricultural Labor Board. Before that he served as a supervisory trial attorney in Region 31 for nearly twelve years following another twelve years as a regular trial attorney.  Before joining Region 31, he was a lawyer in private practice and served as Human Resources Consultant for non-profit organizations.  He received his B.A. degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his J.D. degree from Loyola of Los Angeles School of Law.  He will be assigned to the Division’s West Coast Office.

With these additions, the Agency now has thirty judges, six fewer than in mid-2023, restoring numbers after recent retirements.

“I am pleased to welcome our newest Administrative Law Judges to the Division of Judges. Their experience and commitment to fair and impartial adjudication will strengthen the Board’s ability to address our case backlog and ensure that cases are resolved efficiently and consistent with the National Labor Relations Act. Their service will help us fulfill our fundamental responsibility to protect the rights of American workers and provide timely justice,” said Chairman James R. Murphy.

“Our judges serve a crucial role in assuring justice in the American workplace,” said Chief Administrative Law Judge Robert A. Giannasi.  “We look forward to having these newly appointed judges join the Division.  They have demonstrated their dedication to effectuating the National Relations Act and will continue to do so in their new roles.”