EXPERIENCE 

Sirmon Law, LLC, Solo Practitioner, New Orleans, LA         

December 2016 – present 

Contract attorney with the New Orleans Office of the Independent Police Monitor assisting with monitoring New Orleans Police Department Public Integrity Bureau’s investigations of claims of excessive use of force. Advising newly formed businesses, creating anti-discrimination policies for employers, sexual harassment policies for employers, conducting employee trainings, and estate planning. 

ACLU of Louisiana, Director of Litigation, New Orleans, LA                            

August 2014 – August 2016 

Sole attorney for ACLU Foundation of Louisiana working collaboratively with cooperating attorneys at ACLU national, local attorneys, regional and international law firms and non-profits to address ongoing civil rights and liberty violations in Louisiana federal and state courts. Litigation included First Amendment freedom of speech, exercise of religion and establishment clause cases; Fourth Amendment excessive use of force; Eighth Amendment cruel and unusual punishment class action; LGBTQ rights; and Sixth Amendment class action for violations of right to counsel. Other responsibilities included supervising interns, coordinating cooperating attorneys, working as part of an advocacy, legal, media and communications team, investigating claims, and determining the docket of the ACLU of Louisiana.  

BrowneLaw, LLC, Attorney, New Orleans, LA                 

January 2013 – August 2014 

Louisiana State court litigation involving corporate governance, oil and gas legacy, personal injury, and estate planning. 

Lambert & Nelson, PLC, Associate Attorney, New Orleans, LA     

August 2009- November 2012 

Motion practice in Louisiana and Alabama federal and state courts, second-chaired trials, drafted EEOC complaints, drafted discovery, participated in pre-trial conferences, took and defended depositions, worked with experts, drafted settlement demand letters, supervised summer interns and paralegals, conducted client intake, and reviewed and recommended which cases to take.  Caseload in excess of 200 plaintiffs in federal and state court, including three multi-district litigation cases. 

Contract Attorney, New Orleans, LA   

May 2008 – August 2009 

Contract attorney for Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for In Re: FEMA Trailer Formaldehyde Product Liability Litigation. Drafted and filed pleadings in EDLA, SDMS and Louisiana State courts, drafted discovery, worked with experts, conducted legal research, and maintained client relationships.   

Advocacy Center, Equal Justice Works Katrina Legal Fellow, New Orleans, LA    

May 2006 – May 2008 

Drafted federal pleadings, demand letters, and public records requests regarding housing discrimination under the FHA, ADA and Rehabilitation Act. Lead settlement negotiations with Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals regarding FHA and other civil rights legislation as it pertains to community/group homes. Researched the right to mental health services in New Orleans post-Katrina. Other substantive areas of legal experience include the following, as they relate to disability rights: Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security Disability Income, universal design and accessibility, right to self-determination, civil and criminal commitments, FHA, ADA, Rehabilitation Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, special needs trusts, mental health, and Louisiana Rehabilitation Services.  

International Rescue Committee, Emergency Katrina Employee, New York, NY                     

November 2005                      

Conducted interviews and assessments of Louisiana non-profits statewide post-Katrina to determine whether agencies were eligible for federal funding and grants. Ranked agencies and recommended umbrella agencies to oversee funding.  

Contract Attorney, New York, NY   

October 2004 – April 2006 

Conducted voluminous online document reviews for various law firms. Cases involved labor and employment law class action against major U.S. retailer, stockholders SEC litigation, and SEC investigation of hedge fund company.  

International Rescue Committee, Legal Advisor to Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition, NYC, NY   

January 2004 – September 2004 

Conducted T-Visa immigration training in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security for 100 immigration attorneys and practitioners, New York Police Department, and representatives of district attorneys’ offices for the five boroughs of New York City. Drafted legal memoranda outlining the requirements and filing process for obtaining T and U-Visas. Coordinated “National Anti-Human Trafficking Conference,” in New York City. Conducted statewide trafficking training for immigration social workers in Arizona. Assisted and trained immigration attorneys at the Florence Project in Tucson, Arizona on human trafficking issues. Wrote Legal Watch articles for International Rescue Committee’s Trafficking Watch Newsletter.  

Alabama Supreme Court, Clerk to Associate Justice Lyn Stuart, Montgomery, AL                        

August 2002 – August 2003 

Drafted legal opinions and memoranda on criminal and civil law issues. Researched and drafted the following published opinions: Harper v. Brown, Stagner, Richardson, Inc., 873 So.2d 220 (Ala. 2003); Ex parte Prof’l Bus. Owners Ass’n Workers’ Comp. Fund, 867 So.2d 1099 (Ala. 2003); Nelson v. Estate of Frederick, 855 So.2d 1043 (Ala. 2003); Bean Dredging, L.L.C. v. Ala. Dep’t of Revenue, 855 So.2d 513 (Ala. 2003). 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ACTIVITIES 

Bar Admissions 

Louisiana, Oct. 2006New York, Aug. 2005    Alabama, Sept. 2002  

Court Admissions  

All federal courts in Louisiana and Alabama and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals            

Professional Organizations, Activities and Honors 

Federal Bar Association 

Pro bono volunteer with Project Lazarus 

National Lawyers Guild 

2016 Gillis Long Poverty Law Center Public Service Award  

Emerge Louisiana Volunteer of the Year 2018 

Loyola University Institute of Politics, Class of 2019  

Presentations  

Loyola University College of Law Vienna International Program, Summer 2014 – comparative law lecture on protections for trafficked persons in the United States and Austria 

International Rescue Committee Anti-Human Trafficking Conference, Phoenix, AZ, Summer 2004  

T-Visa immigration training 

International Rescue Committee Anti-Human Trafficking Conference, New York, NY, Spring 2004  

T-Visa immigration training 

EDUCATION 

Loyola University School of Law, New Orleans, LA  

Juris Doctorate May 2002 

International Law Certificate from University of Vienna School of Law, Vienna, Austria  

Honors and Activities 

2001 National Moot Court Team   

Region VII Team Champions 

Best Oralist Final and Semi-Final Rounds  

2000 Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Team  

International Team Champions 

Best Oralist Award  

Academic Award in Advanced Legal Research and Writing Class 

Moot Court Staff – Top Eight Oralist in First Year Class  

Moot Court Teaching Assistant – Spring 2001 and 2002 

2002 Moot Court Teaching Assistant award from 1Ls 

St. Thomas More Inn of Court 

Externship with United States Department of Labor Administrative Law Judge Lee J. Romero, Jr. 

Troy University, Troy, AL  

Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration, June 1998 

Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice, May 1997