Sara A. RapportAssociate
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(401) 272-8080/x251 Areas of PracticeLabor and Employment Law
Business Dispute Resolution
Education Law Experience Sara's practice emphasizes labor and employment law. She represents school committees and other municipal employers in negotiations, and before administrative bodies and in the courts. On a daily basis Sara advises employers regarding best practices and compliance with federal and state labor, employment and education law. She also regularly prosecutes interest arbitration hearings on behalf of municipal employers. Sara has represented an employer in Superior Court and before the Supreme Court, successfully defending against a complex claim seeking injunctive relief, and prosecuting a matter of first impression addressing the intersection of state education and labor law. Sara also has represented a female business owner in achieving state certification as a Woman Business Enterprise. Sara Rapport brings experience from a dynamic and diverse legal career to LMKBW. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1987, where she was an editor of the Law Review, she clerked at the United States Court of Appeals. Thereafter she served as a federal public defender in California before returning to Rhode Island, where she was an associate and then partner at Perkins, Smith & Cohen. As a litigation attorney, Sara's courtroom experience involved civil employment matters and criminal defense. Sara served as senior assistant city solicitor for the city of Providence for five years. Her work focused on serving the city on education, employment, labor and related legal matters. She has a record of successful representation in state and federal courts, as well as administrative forums on matters of employment law and personal injury for city departments. In addition to her work with the city, Sara acted as chief legal advisor to the Providence School Department and School Board. She represented the School Department in a variety of public settings, implemented legal practices to support Board policies, and reviewed agreements with corporate and governmental agencies. Sara also developed curriculum and presented training seminars on the investigation and discipline of employees and the fundamentals of employment law. Education B.A., magna cum laude, Yale University, 1981
M.A., Rutgers University, 1985
J.D., cum laude, Harvard Law School, 1987 Bar MembershipsRhode Island (1999)
Massachusetts (1995)
California (1990)
Federal Court (U. S. District Court for the Districts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and San Diego; First Circuit Court of Appeals; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals) Professional Memberships & Honors Member, Bench Bar Committee
Member, Local Rules Committee
Member, Inns of Court of Rhode Island (2004-2006) Reported Cases Georgia v. McCollum, 505 U.S. 42 (1992) (amicus curiae for National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) (criminal) United States v. Ouimette, 137 F.3d 24 (1st Cir. 1998) (criminal) United States v. Munoz, 83 F.3d 7 (1st Cir. 1996) (criminal) United States v. Bernal-Obeso, 989 F.2d 331 (9th Cir. 1993) (criminal) United States v. Skarie, 971 F.2d 317 (9th Cir. 1992) (criminal) Authored Articles/PublicationsJustice at Home: Okin's Justice, Gender and the Family, Law and Social Inquiry Journal of the American Bar Foundation vol. 16, no. 4 (Fall 1991) The Freedmen's Bureau of a Legal Agent for Black Men and Women in Georgia: 1865-1868, The Georgia Historical Quarterly, vol. LXXIII, no. 1 (Spring 1989) SeminarsCo-presenter, "Employment Law Update", Sterling Education Services, Inc. (February 2010) Co-presenter, "Employment Law Update", Sterling Education Services, Inc. (February 2009) Co-presenter, "Teachers' Rights in the 21st Century", National Business Institute (January 2009) |