$ 500-650 per hour
Leah Ward Sears
About Leah
Biography
As a retired Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice, Ms. Sears draws on her background as a former jurist and elected official to bring a unique combination of skills and outstanding value to her clients. Among her many roles, she is an appellate lawyer, oral advocate and strategist, in addition to often serving as a neutral in arbitration proceedings and mediations. Ms. Sears also devotes much of her time assisting managers and institutions facing misconduct allegations, especially sexual, racial and other forms of bias claims, prepare and respond, minimize legal exposure, and protect their reputations.
Practice Areas
4
Practice Areas
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Retainer
Always
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Georgia for 45 years
State: Georgia
Acquired: 1980
No misconduct found
Location
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
The Promenade, Suite 3100, 1230 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA, 30309-3453
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Experience
Honors
2017
Top Rated Appellate Attorney, SuperLawyers
2017
Annual Leah Ward Sears Award for Distinction in the Profession, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys
2017
Changing the World Honoree, Girls Scouts of Greater Atlanta
2016
Thomas R. Burnside, Jr. Excellence in Bar Leadership Award, Georgia State Bar
2016
Women of Vision Honoree, Savanah School of Art and Design
2015
Women Making a Mark, Atlanta Magazine
2012
50 Top Innovators, Visionaries, and Legal Leaders in Law, Fastcase
2012
Atlanta Tribune’s Hall of Fame, Atlanta Tribune
2011
175 Emory Historymakers, Emory University
Work Experience
2016 - Present
Partner, Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
2009 - 2016
Partner, Appellate Client Service Team Leader, Schiff Hardin, LLP
2005 - 2009
Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Georgia
2001 - 2005
Presiding Judge, Supreme Court Of Georgia
1992 - 2001
Justice, Supreme Court of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
1989 - 1992
Judge, Superior Court of Fulton County, Atlanta, GA
1985 - 1988
Judge, City Court of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
1980 - 1985
Attorney, Alston & Bird, LLP, Atlanta, GA
Sample of Legal Cases
Hartford Fire Insurance Company v. iFreedom Direct Corporation, 312 Ga. App. 262, 718 S.E.2d 103 (Ga. App. 2012)
AES Corporation v. Steadfast Insurance Company; The Supreme Court of Virginia; Record No.: 100764
St. Joseph Hospital, et al. v. Health Management Associates, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit; No. 11-13069-B
Port Authority of NY & NJ, v. Citigroup, In the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; Case No.: 19 -v.-10-3941-cv
Cedar & Washington Assocs., v. Port Authority of NY & NJ, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit; Case No.: 19 -v.- 10-4197
Eastwest United Group, Inc., v. Bell Flavors & Fragrances, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; Case No. 10-55256
Trustmark Ins. Co., v. John Hancock Life Ins. Co.; In the U.S. Court Of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Case No. No. 09-3682
Aegis Insurance Services, Inc. v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Case No. 09-3503-CV
In re Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc., Relators, In the Supreme Court of Texas, Case No. 0104
Candee Wilhelm, et al. v. Jerome Dowdell, et al.; In the Supreme Court of Georgia; Case No. S10C1904
Education
1995
University of Virginia School of Law
LL.M Degree, Appellate Judicial Process
1980
Emory University School of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
1976
Cornell University
BS - Bachelor of Science
Speaking Engagements
2017
Historic Oakland Foundation
Restoring Historic Oakland Cemetery’s African American Grounds
2017
Girls Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Keynote Speaker - Girl Scouts Second Century Breakfast
2017
Georgia Association of Women Lawyer's Annual Gala
Keynote Speaker -
2017
Gate City Bar Association
Practicing Law in the Spotlight
2017
DeKalb Lawyer’s Association
The Important Role of Lawyers in our Society
2017
35th Annual Family Law Institute
Recent Changes in the Appeal of Family Law Cases
2017
100 Years of Women of Excellence at Emory
Keynote Speaker for 100 Years of Women of Excellence at Emory
2016
Women's Day
Women’s Day Speaker
2016
The Center for Civil and Human Rights
A More Perfect Union, The Rights of LGBTQ Americans
2016
Criminal Justice Day
Keynote Speaker
2016
Administrative Office of the Courts, Macon, Georgia,
A Summit on Ferguson
Publications
2017
Linkin.com
One Little Engine and the Power of Grit
2017
The University of Georgia Press
Seizing Serendipity, The Biography of Leah Ward Sears
2017
Linked.com
Oh Man! My Shoes Make me Feel Like a Woman
2017
State Bar of Georgia Journal
A Conversation with Justice Leah Ward Sears
2017
The American Bar Association
“You’ve Got to Have a Plan,” an essay in Herstory, Lessons in Success from Lawyers who Live it, published by the American Bar Association, June 2017
2016
Smart Living Magazine
Pioneer Justice, Savannah Native Leah Ward Sears
2016
Fulton County Daily Report
Once Common Words Can Now Be Offensive
2016
2012
Georgia Bar Journal
“A View from the Other Side of the Bench – A Brief is Called a Brief for a Reason,”
Languages
English