In this 1979 case, lawyer David Weintraub accused his former employer (The Legal Clinic of Worrell, Martelle, Pappas, and Mullin) of unlawful discharge from his position. He argued that his discharge was based solely on his political activities and affiliations, and this violated California Labor Code Sections 1101 and 1102. The political activities in question involve Weintraub's membership in the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) - "a nationwide organization of 6,000 lawyers, law students, and legal workers" that "promotes human rights and the needs of people over property interests." The court notes: "In particular, this has meant organizational efforts to safeguard and extend the rights of workers, minorities, women, and the poor." They engage in litigation at the federal, state, and local levels. The plaintiff was a member of the Bay Area chapter of NLG. He was a member of the Labor Committee that "focused on legal remedies and strategies to workers involved in labor disputes..."

Before being offered the job from which he was eventually discharged, Weintraub openly discussed his interests and values, and was open about his membership in NLG. He was later pulled aside and privately questioned about his membership in NLG by a law firm partner. Days later, he was discharged from a position that he had only occupied briefly. He alleged that his firing was "in bad faith, malicious, and without just cause or excuse," and sought damages and declaratory relief. The outcome of this case is not obvious from the materials provided.