Attorney Profile
I am married (Mary Elizabeth). We have two sons, Joshua (born in 1997) and William (born 2002). I am an Eagle Scout and worked my way through college and law school selling religious and educational books for The Southwestern Company in Nashville, Tennessee. When I am not practicing law or spending time with my family, I enjoy running, reading, video games, and whitewater canoeing.
Areas of Practice
- Civil Rights
- Employment Discrimination - Employee Rights
- Constitutional Law
- Equal Employment Opportunity Law
- Fair Employment Practices
- Title VII Discrimination
- Civil Rights Section 1983 Claims
- Fair Labor Standards Act
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- WARN Act
- Wage and Hour Law
- Labor Law
- Race Discrimination
- Sex Discrimination
- Age Discrimination
- Disability Discrimination
- Gay and Lesbian Rights
- Racial Harassment
- Sexual Harassment
- Employee Discipline
- Employment Termination
- Wrongful Termination
- Retaliatory Discharge
- Whistleblower Litigation
- Executive Severance Contracts
- Reductions in Force
- Negligent Hiring
- Employee Privacy
- Employer Intentional Torts
- Employment Contracts
- Employer Breach of Contract
- Executive Employment Law
- Employment Litigation
- Prisoner Rights
- Police Liability
- Police Misconduct
- Police Excessive Force
- Police Brutality
- Illegal Search and Seizure
- False Arrest
- False Imprisonment
Litigation Percentage
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 1990
- Alabama, 1993
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 1990
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Alabama, 1993
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Alabama, 2001
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Alabama, 2006
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1992
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1993
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2006
Education
- Vanderbilt University School of Law, Nashville, Tennessee, 1989
J.D.
Honors: Summa Cum Laude
Honors: Order of the Coif
Law Review: Vanderbilt Law Review, Associate Articles Editor - Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, Alabama, 1986
B.A.
Honors: Summa Cum Laude
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
Honors and Awards
- West Publishing Co. Book Award (One of Top 5 Persons in Class)
- Am Jur Book Awards in Contracts I, Constitutional Law I, Administrative Law, Criminal Constitutional Law, and Accounting
- Best Brief Award and Semifinalist, Intramural Moot Court Competition
- Moot Court Board
- Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O'Neal Scholar
- Andrew Ewing Scholar Finalist
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Lauderdale County Bar Association
Member - American Bar Association, Sections on Litigation, Labor and Employment Law
Member - Alabama State Bar Association, Section on Labor and Employment Law
Member - State Bar of Texas
Member - National Employment Lawyers Association
Member - NELA - Alabama
Founding Board Member and President (2005 - Present) - The National Police Accountability Project
Member - American Association for Justice, Sections on Employment Rights and Civil Rights
Member - Alabama Association for Justice
Member - American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama
Executive Board Member, Legal Committee Member, and Vice President
Past Employment Positions
- Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, Dallas, Texas, Associate, 1990 - 1993
- Hon. Patrick E. Higginbotham, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Law Clerk, 1989 - 1990
Birth Information
- February 20, 1964, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America