Abigail Burman fights for consumers who are struggling to cope with life-altering effects of negligence and misconduct by large tech companies. She also advocates for copyright holders to receive the fair compensation they need to continue producing art and sustain themselves and their families.
Specifically, Abigail litigates for families of children who allege Instagram and other social media platforms encouraged addictive behavior in order to maximize screen time. Through lawsuits filed in state and federal courts, plaintiffs aim to prove negligent, defective platforms marketed to children and teens caused them to suffer emotional and physical harms, including death. She also represents individuals who allege their protected health information was illicitly collected by a large technology company. In the copyright space, Abigail was part of the team that represented SESAC in a major rate-setting arbitration.
Prior to joining Motley Rice, Abigail completed a Justice Catalyst/Public Rights Project fellowship at Yale Law School focused on reproductive health care, public health, consumer protection, and state and local policymaking. Her research included work on the potential for the internet and other technologies to expand access to self-managed abortion. She also clerked for Associate Judge Roy W. McLeese, III of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton of the District of Connecticut.
While in law school in California, Abigail worked at a plaintiffs’ firm focusing on healthcare and union-side labor and employment law, and in the Oakland City Attorney’s Community Lawyering & Civil Rights Unit, where she contributed to amicus briefs and administrative comments on a range of civil rights and consumer protection issues, among other positions. Prior to law school, she worked as a legislative staffer for Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy, III, drafting bills and providing advice on gender, civil rights, economic justice, housing, health, and technology issues.
Abigail has published several articles on the intersection of state and local policy, consumer protection, and public health, including an article in the Yale Law & Policy Review about the harms caused by defective and deceptive health insurance directories. She served as Associate Editor for the California Law Review, and as Commentary and Recent Developments Editor for the Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law and Justice.
Blog Posts
November 1, 2023
AI rollout should prioritize safety, not speed
by: Abigail Burman
News
March 5, 2026
International Women’s Day: The Women Who Inspire Us
by: Motley Rice
April 28, 2025
The history and legacy of Workers’ Memorial Day
by:
M. Nolan We
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