GEORGIA INJURY LAWYER

The published article on Williams Oinonen LLC’s recent win in the 11th circuit affirming the denial of qualified immunity for government officials in a race discrimination case features our honorable client, long time educator Dr. Lana Foster. Her attorney Julie Oinonen is quoted stating: “another example of why lawful DEI is still desperately needed…Race discrimination exists in 2026 more than ever for Black women, who are being pushed out of the job force due to the racist policies of the current administration….Again, why DEI is not only important in the workplace as well as in academia. All of our constitutional civil rights are put at risk when institutions capitulate to authoritarianism and roll back DEI efforts.” 

We are honored to continue to fight for justice in the ongoing case of Lana Foster v. Echols County School District et al.  The 11th circuit Court of Appeals opinion can be read here. 

In yet another example of why lawful DEI is still desperately needed, in one of our law firm’s many race discrimination cases in south Georgia, the Eleventh Circuit just released this week a decision in favor of Dr. Sherilonda Green, our client who brought race discrimination and retaliation claims against her employer the Charlton County School Board. https://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/unpub/files/202413462.pdf

The cover photo above includes our firms’ Of Counsel, Muna Hasan and Esther Graff Radford who originally tried the case with Julie Oinonen years ago down in south Georgia and Chanel Patrick who also assisted in race discrimination cases that have gone before the Eleventh Circuit.

Dr. Green’s litigation originally started as an Open Records Act case we tried several years ago where Julie Oinonen crossed examined the Chairman of the Board of Education for Charlton County Schools getting him to admit that the reason they had never had a Black superintendent (or principal) in over 100 years despite being a 1/3 Black demographic was because that is just the way they’ve always done things. Another Board member testified that he wasn’t even aware of anti-discrimination laws existing. When the very brave and Honorable Chief Judge (who oversaw this bench trial til 10 p.m. that night) https://www.goodgeorgialawyers.com/dr-sherilonda-green-wins-trial-showing-district-violated-open-records-act-in-order-to-hide-evidence-of-race-discrimination/issued an Order allowing us to computer forensically examine all of the Board members personal cell phones finding that the evidence had shown they had engaged in a long history of systematic race discrimination against African Americans, the District would later bring a motion to dismiss on grounds of res judicata in the Southern District of Georgia which was granted and then overturned this week by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals this week.

For the 12th year in a row, Julie Oinonen, of Williams Oinonen LLC, was named as a Georgia 2026 Super Lawyer. Only 5 percent of the lawyers in each state are named to Super Lawyers each year.

Our practice encompasses all plaintiff’s side work including wrongful death, employment, civil rights, education, personal injury and General Counsel matters. Ms. Oinonen serves as General Counsel for several non-profit movement organizations. She is President of National Employment Lawyer’s Association of Georgia, a civil rights organization made up of Employment Litigation lawyers who advocate for employee rights. A proud Emory Law alumni member, she is on the Alumni Board of Emory Law School and is a faculty instructor at Emory University School of Law’s Trial Techniques program.

To read the 2026 issue of Georgia Super Lawyers, go here.

By: Julie Oinonen as NELA-GA President

I recently spoke in my role as the President of the National Employment Lawyer’s Association of Georgia during the luncheon at our recent NELA-GA Employment Law CLE on our duties as lawyers to the rule of law. The following is my “Call to action” to you and to each of us as lawyers:

The U.S. Constitution is our nation’s fundamental law.  It codifies the core values of our country, of us as a people and if any law passed by the legislature, conflicts with the Constitution, Judges are to always defer to the Constitution as the fundamental rule of law. And because there are certain principles that are so important to our nation, the Bill of Rights was passed because principles such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, equality, and due process of law were deemed so important that, barring a Constitutional Amendment, no one, even when they are in the White House should be able to change them.[2]

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Good Georgia Employment Lawyers secured a major victory for Piedmont University professor Robert Wainberg, prevailing on his breach of employment tenure contract claim and obtaining bad faith damages. The verdict holds Piedmont University accountable for failing to honor the contractual protections that accompany tenure and reinforces that even universities must follow the agreements they make with their employees. This result underscores a core principle of Georgia employment law: when employers breach written contracts in bad faith, courts can—and will—award additional damages to ensure fairness and accountability. News story posted here.

Good Georgia Employment Lawyers recently won a major trial victory on behalf of the former Superintendent of Baker County, recovering 100% of the compensation owed in his breach of contract claim against the Baker County School District. Following a trial in Baker County Superior Court, the factfinder returned a verdict fully enforcing the Superintendent’s contractual rights. The outcome underscores a core principle of Georgia employment law: employers—public and private—must follow the law and honor the agreements they sign and pay workers what they are owed.

We are facing an urgent and time sensitive crisis in that is threatening our entire Georgia civil justice system right now in real time. I am asking every single person to today (it will take THIRTY SECONDS to do this), to click on this link below, and input your name and address which will automatically send a message to your legislator urging them to reject SB 68, the tort reform bill that just passed in the GA Senate on Friday and is headed to the House where it will likely pass and will destroy our civil justice system in Georgia as we know it.

https://georgiarightsalliance.org

SB 68 “the tort reform bill” is falsely advertised as an effort to “to stabilize and lower insurance premiums for all.” In reality, SB 68 contains no provisions addressing insurance premiums. Instead, the provisions of SB 68 target the rights of individuals to seek justice for wrongs and give companies immunity for their negligence. Wrongdoers will not be held responsible for their actions, and our legal and Constitutional rights will suffer. Insurance companies, not individuals who pay insurance premiums, will benefit from this bill. In fact, the bill will have the opposite effect than has been advertised. Insurance premiums in Florida went up over 30% after a nearly identical bill was passed last year.

For the 10th year in a row, Julie Oinonen, of Williams Oinonen LLC, was named as a Georgia 2024 Super Lawyer. Only 5 percent of the lawyers in each state are named to Super Lawyers each year.

Our practice encompasses all plaintiff’s side work including wrongful death, employment, civil rights, education, personal injury and General Counsel matters. Ms. Oinonen is President-Elect of National Employment Lawyer’s Association of Georgia, a civil rights organization made up of Employment Litigation lawyers who advocate for employee rights. A proud Emory Law alumni member, she is on the Alumni Board of Emory Law School and is a faculty instructor at Emory University School of Law’s Trial Techniques program.

To read the 2024 issue of Georgia Super Lawyers, go here.

Good Georgia Lawyer’s Unbreakable Winning Streak Against Attorney General Continues: Before Administrative Law Judge Another Win Against the PSC On Behalf Of Educators. If you are facing a PSC charge know that the investigator contacting you is likely former law enforcement, former GBI, former deputy sheriff, secret service, etc. Talking them is like talking to the police after you’ve been arrested. Don’t do it! Politely inform them that you cannot speak to them without first obtaining legal counsel and then call Julie Oinonen at 404-654-0288.

Ms. Oinonen will be speaking at the National Employment Lawyers Association of Georgia CLE on Sept 27th. Plaintiff and Defense lawyers are welcome.

Who: Everyone’s invited to our National Employment Lawyers Association of Georgia CLE Seminar!

We have some awesome speakers lined up.