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Laura O’Leary
Member
972-860-0333
[email protected]
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Laura O’Leary joined Fanning Harper Martinson Brandt & Kutchin, P.C. in 2010. Her practice areas include local government law, school law, employment law, civil rights, and appellate law. She previously worked in the litigation department of a mid-sized Washington, D.C. law firm.
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Laura received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and her law degree from the College of William and Mary where she was a member of the Law Review and a teaching assistant. Laura enjoys racing one-design sailboats throughout the country.
Laura O’Leary joined Fanning Harper Martinson Brandt & Kutchin, P.C. in 2010. Her practice areas include local government law, school law, employment law, civil rights, and appellate law. She previously worked in the litigation department of a mid-sized Washington, D.C. law firm.
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Laura received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and her law degree from the College of William and Mary where she was a member of the Law Review and a teaching assistant. Laura enjoys racing one-design sailboats throughout the country.
Carswell v. Camp, 54 F.4th 307 (5th Cir. 2022) (trial court must stay discovery pending resolution of a defendant’s assertion of qualified immunity made in a motion to dismiss).
Town of Shady Shores v. Swanson, 590 S.W.3d 544, (Tex. 2019) (governmental entities can assert governmental immunity in a no-evidence motion for summary judgment).
I.F. v. Lewisville Indep. Sch. Dist., 915 F.3d 360 (5th Cir. 2019) (affirming summary judgment in favor of school district on student’s deliberate indifference claim under Title IX).
PlainsCapital Bank v. Keller Indep. Sch. Dist., 746 Fed. App’x 355 (5th Cir. 2018) (school district entitled to judgment as a matter of law on disability discrimination claim).
Lance v. Lewisville Indep. Sch. Dist., 743 F.3d 982 (5th Cir. 2014) (school district was not deliberately indifferent to the rights of disabled elementary school student who committed suicide at school).
State Bar of Texas
Supreme Court of the United States
United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
The College of William and Mary School of Law (J.D.) -Member, William and Mary Law Review -Teaching Assistant, Legal Skills Program
The University of Pennsylvania (B.A.) -Member, University of Pennsylvania Sailing Team
2022 TASA/TASB Convention
Litigation Update – Recent Decision Impacting School Districts and their Personnel
Co-Presented with FHMBK Member, Frank Valenzuela
2022 TMLIRP Defense Attorney Workshop
Practical Tips for Appellate Work
2021 Texas Charter School Conference
Transgender Issues
Co-Presented with FHMBK Member, Frank Valenzuela
2021 Advanced Government Law Course – State Bar of Texas
Transgender Issues of Important to Governmental Entites
Co-Presented with FHMBK Member, Frank Valenzuela
2019 Dallas Bar Association Governmental Law Section
The State of Transgender Litigation
Co-presented with FHMBK Director, Thomas P. Brandt
2019 UT School Law Conference
Recent Developments in Section 504 Student Litigation
2018 Catholic Bar Association, General Assembly
Transgender Litigation
Co-presented with FHMBK Director, Thomas P. Brandt
2018 UT School Law Conference
Civil Rights Litigation Update
Co-wrote paper, presented by FHMBK Director, Thomas P. Brandt
2017 Texas Charter School Conference
Prevailing in Civil Rights Litigation
Co-presented with FHMBK Member, Stephen Henninger
2016 Winter TCASE Conference
Restraint, Discipline, Discrimination?
Co-wrote paper, presented with Mona Lincoln, former Administrative Officer for Special Services, Mesquite Independent School District
2015 TASA/TASB Convention
Anatomy of a School Lawsuit
Presented with Amanda Bigbee, General Counsel, Keller Independent School District
2014 TASA/TASB Convention
Bullying and School Liability: Does Your District Have a Bullying Problem?
Presented with Thomas Brandt, FHMBK, and Paula Walker, Ph.D., Executive Director of Special Education, Lewisville Independent School District.
2014 TMLIRP Attorney Workshop
First Amendment Retaliation
Co-wrote paper, presented by FHMBK Director, Thomas P. Brandt
2014 Winter TCASE Conference
Section 504 Litigation: A Moving Target
Co-wrote paper, presented with Amanda Bigbee, General Counsel, Keller Independent School District