Judy O'Brien is a member of Sutherland's Litigation Practice Group and head of the firm's Pro Bono and Public Service Committees. She practices primarily in the areas of employment and education litigation.
Judy's education practice has been extensive and diverse. Besides serving as the board attorney for a large urban school district in the metropolitan Atlanta area for many years, Judy also has handled specialized litigation on behalf of large and small school districts in Georgia and elsewhere. In addition, she has represented various private schools, a college, and other education-related organizations. Areas of experience include school personnel matters (fair dismissal, employment discrimination, ERISA, wage and hour claims, teacher certification, teacher contracts, etc.), student matters (student discipline, disciplinary tribunals, FERPA, student speech rights, etc.), state and federal constitutional issues, school policy issues (charter schools, school councils, etc.), Open Meetings and Open Records laws, school tax laws (SPLOST, TADs, property taxes), No Child Left Behind Act, reapportionment, voting rights, religion in the schools, and other specialized aspects of Georgia school law.
In the employment area, Judy has handled a full range of employment litigation in federal and state courts, representing employers in lawsuits brought under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, ERISA and other federal and state statutes, as well as claims based on breach of contract and tort theories. She also has extensive experience representing employers in cases pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state employment agencies. Judy places special emphasis on preventing litigation by advising clients on personnel problems as they occur and by conducting training sessions for her clients' managers and supervisory employees.
Judy is invited to speak frequently on her areas of practice.
Judy was a law clerk for Judge Elbert P. Tuttle on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth (now Eleventh) Circuit. She also taught at Emory School of Law for several years.
Professional Honors and Awards
· Recipient, Men Stopping Violence's Kathleen Carlin Justice Seekers Award (2009)
· Recipient, Tenth Annual Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service (2009)
Professional and Community Involvement
· Pro Bono General Counsel, Communities in Schools of Georgia
· Board Member and Past President, Atlanta Legal Aid Society
· Chairman of the Board, Georgia Community Loan Fund
· Board Member, Georgia Appleseed
· Board Member, Georgia Asylum & Immigration Network
· Board Member, Men Stopping Violence
· Member, Advisory Committee, Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta
· Member, Legal Committee, ACLU Foundation of Georgia
· Past President, Federal Defenders Board
· Former Board Member, Georgia Breast Cancer Coalition Fund
Selected Seminars and Publications
· "Wage & Hour Issues in Public Education," School and College Law Seminar, Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia (September 18, 2003)
· "Fair Labor Standards Act: Defending Against Employees' Claims," Issues Workshop, Georgia Council of School Board Attorneys (May 21, 2003)
· "Improving Employee Attendance Without Violating ADA and FMLA," School Law Seminar, Georgia School Boards Association (December 5, 2002)
· "Religion in the Schools: Prayer and Other Current Issues," School Law Seminar, Georgia School Boards Association (November 30, 2000)
· "Religion in the Schools: Teaching the Bible, Prayer and Distributing Religious Literature," School Law Seminar, Georgia School Boards Association (December 2, 1999)
· "Personnel Issues," School Law Seminar, Georgia School Boards Association (November 30, 1995)
· "How to Prepare the Case for Trial: The Ethical and Professional Approach," Basics of Employment Discrimination Law, State Bar of Georgia and Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia (December 16, 1994)
· "Student Issues, Including Searches and School Safety Plans," School Law Seminar, Georgia School Boards Association (December 8, 1994)
· "The ADA and Employee Health and Benefit Plans," Americans with Disabilities Act Seminar, State Bar of Georgia and Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia (March 12, 1993)
· "The Americans with Disabilities Act, Labor and Employment Law Update," Atlanta Bar Association and Federal Bar Association, Atlanta Chapter (November 5, 1992)
Industries
Education, Government and Civil Rights Litigation
News
Sutherland Garners Two Honors at Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta Awards Reception
February 3, 2012
Men Stopping Violence Recognizes Sutherland Partner Judith A. O'Brien With Kathleen Carlin Justice Seekers Award
October 5, 2009
Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism Honors Sutherland Partner Judith A. O'Brien
March 10, 2009
Sutherland Wins Law Firm Commitment Award, Daily Report's Highest Pro Bono Honor; Retired Partner Charlie Lester Named as Finalist for Lifetime Achievement
May 8, 2008
Legal Alerts
Legal Alert: Supreme Court Expands IDEA Liability
June 26, 2009
Legal Alert: So What Is FINRA Telling Its Arbitrators? Highlights from the March 13, 2008 FINRA Dispute Resolutions Neutral Call-In Workshop
March 14, 2008
Legal Alert: Highlights from November 6, 2007 FINRA Arbitrator Workshop
November 7, 2007
Legal Alert: Eleventh Circuit Finds Arbitration Clause Prohibiting Class Actions Unenforceable
September 12, 2007
Legal Alert: Summary of Selected Programs from SIFMA Compliance & Legal Division's 2007 Annual Seminar
April 3, 2007
Legal Alert: NASD Workshop - Insights into the Changes to the NASD Code of Arbitration Procedure
March 2, 2007
Legal Alert: Federal Court Rejects Fired Employee's Sarbanes-Oxley "Whistleblower" Claim
December 18, 2006