DOJABA Member Spotlight: Felicia Sadler
Felicia Sadler is a Senior Trial Attorney in the Disability Rights Section (DRS) of the Civil Rights Division. As a 21-year veteran of DRS, she is an expert in the area of disability rights law, enforcing Title I, Title II, and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the ADA). Through her advocacy and leadership, she is committed to ensuring that more than 60 million Americans living with disabilities are protected from disability discrimination by employers, state and local governments, and in public accommodations. Since the majority of people in the United States with disabilities are people of color, enforcing the ADA is extremely important to Felicia.
During her DRS tenure, she managed a diverse caseload, opened complex investigations, and successfully entered into several settlement agreements benefitting disabled citizens. She also completed three DOJ details, which allowed her to gain knowledge, experience, and insight into other DOJ Divisions. For example, while on special assignment in the Deputy Attorney General’s Office, she worked on the “Fast and Furious” investigation. She served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where she litigated in the General Crimes Section. She also completed a detail at the Community Relations Service where she served as the Deputy General Counsel.
Her advocacy extends well beyond paid work for DOJ. In her community, she serves as Vice Chair of the State of Maryland’s Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission, and volunteers as a Girl Scout Troop leader. She’s a former elected official, having served as Maryland’s District 7 Representative on Prince George’s County School Board – the very school system of which she is a product. She’s also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Clearly, Felicia lives by one of her favorite quotes: “service is the rent we pay for living;” as evidenced by her commitment to public service and her participation in countless community organizations.
She received an undergraduate degree from Spelman College and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center (GULC). While at GULC, she taught at a D.C. high school as part of the “Street Law” clinic, and she represented juveniles in D.C. Superior Court as part of GULC’s Juvenile Justice Clinic.
She began her legal career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Harold L. Cushenberry, Jr., former Associate Judge at D.C. Superior Court. Her federal career began as an Honors Attorney at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where she made quarterly presentations and advised high-level HUD officials. She also advised on appropriate sanctions and recommended civil money penalties HUD should impose against non-compliant mortgagees of single-family housing, multi-family housing, public housing, and community development programs. While at HUD, she was selected for the Women’s Executive Leadership Program, and gained leadership opportunities including a detail in the front office of DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.
As a long-time DOJABA member, she credits DOJABA as the glue that keeps us all together and all connected. She served multiple years on DOJABA’s Executive Council, in various roles including Chair and Vice Chair. And though her official leadership roles have ended, she actively participates, encourages our membership, and supports our endeavors. She is proud of DOJABA’s past and looks forward to its promising future.
As we all know, having representation is important. Her years of fierce advocacy has furthered disability rights and she has contributed to the improvement of our community. If you are interested in learning more about the wealth of knowledge and experience that she possesses, please contact her (Felicia.Sadler@usdoj.gov). We are grateful that she represents us so well; and, we shine the spotlight on her accomplishments.
DOJABA celebrates your excellence, Felicia!
