Appointed director of the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) by Governor Schwarzenegger in May 2007, Susan Lapsley left in 2011 to become a deputy secretary at the California Secretary of State’s office where she had worked before coming to the OAL.
Lapsley received her bachelor's degree and juris doctorate from Santa Clara University. Early in her career she clerked for the U.S. Federal District Court in Nevada as well as the First Judicial District Court in Nevada. She was deputy for elections under Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller from 2000-2003.
In 2005-2006, she served as general counsel for West Coast Trends, a golf manufacturing company in Southern California. She handled the company’s human resources management, trademark and patent administration as well as oversaw infringement enforcement and licensing review.
In 2006-2007, Lapsley was California assistant secretary of state for elections under Republican Secretary of State Bruce McPherson and played a role in the hotly-contested battle for San Diego’s 50th Congressional District. Democrat Francine Busby and Republican Brian Bilbray battled down to the wire in mid-2006 for the seat vacated by Republican Randy “Duke” Cunningham after he was convicted of bribery charges.
At the end of election day, Bilbray maintained a small lead amid threatened legal challenges and allegations of failed Diebold optical-scanning voting machines. The San Diego registrar didn’t certify the election for 23 days, but one week after the vote Bilbray flew to Washington where the Republican-controlled House of Representatives declared him the winner and swore him in.
The House leadership noted a communication from Lapsley citing unofficial election returns and indicating Bilbray was the uncontested winner. She contributed $2,300 to Sen. John McCain in 2007.
Lapsley clashed with Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner in 2010 over his decision the year before to require insurance companies to disclose investments in companies doing business with Iran. The OAL ruled that the regulation was improper and Poizner’s office sued in Los Angeles County Superior Court to overturn the ruling. In an unusual action, Poizner retained Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office to represent his department. Brown was thus suing an agency that he had helped create during his first tenure as governor. A settlement was reached in 2012 after Lapsley and Poizner had both moved on to other jobs that allowed tracking of insurance companies’ Iranian contacts, but limited reporting requirements.
Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Susan Lapsley Director of the Office of Administrative Law (Press release)
Jerry Brown Sues His Own Client (by Robert Sallady, California Watch)
California Department of Insurance Settles Suit Over Iran Investments (by Larry Golub, Insurance Litigation & Regulatory Law blog)
