Associate
Sarah Netburn joined the firm in 2002. As a senior associate, Ms.
Netburn is responsible for discovery, motion practice, trial preparation,
conduct of hearings and trials, and research and writing of trial
and appellate briefs in a wide variety of cases, including:
-Ingles v. Toro: counsel for class of thousands of individuals
detained in New York City jails; obtained landmark settlement in
case alleging municipal pattern and practice in which Department
of Corrections officers use excessive force to control and punish
inmates; settlement included significant changes in training of
DOC staff, improved investigations process, increased discipline
of officers, and $2.2 million in damages for 22 class representatives.
-Kunstler v. City of New York: trial counsel for 52 plaintiffs
who were falsely arrested at peaceful anti-war demonstration; conducted
dozens of depositions, including of senior members of New York City
Police Department; obtained numerous successful discovery rulings,
including important ruling related to discoverability of civil rights
plaintiffs’ psychological records.
-Marijuana Policy Project: trial and appellate counsel
for non-profit organization in numerous ballot access cases, including:
obtained preliminary and permanent injunctive relief in cases challenging
Nevada’s initiative petition process on First Amendment and
Equal Protection grounds; successfully challenged South Dakota’s
ballot explanation of MPP initiative.
-Rice v. City of New York: counsel to three individuals
who were severely beaten by New York City Corrections officers for
refusing to participate in staff-organized inmate-on-inmate fights;
obtained $1.2 million for plaintiffs.
-Hurst v. Libya: counsel for families who
lost loved ones in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie,
Scotland; successfully defended against Libya’s motion to dismiss;
won summary judgment against Libyan agent.
Before joining the firm, Ms. Netburn clerked on the United States
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for the Honorable Harry Pregerson.
Ms. Netburn was graduated from the UCLA School of Law where she completed
its Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. She graduated summa
cum laude and was elected to the Order of the Coif. The Legal
Aid Society awarded Ms. Netburn with its 2004 and 2005 Pro Bono
Publico Awards. She has served as a Member of the Civil Rights
Committee for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
Education
University of California at Los Angeles, J.D., 2001
Brown University, B.A., 1994
Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit and Ninth Circuit; U.S. District
Court, Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York; New York.
Memberships
Association of the Bar of the City of New York; ABCNY Civil Rights Committee
(2004-2007); New York County Lawyers Association.
