Sondra S. Sutherland, Esq., brings more than 35 years of legal experience to her practice, beginning her career at age 17 as a legal secretary and later earning a paralegal certificate from the University of San Diego. She served as a litigation paralegal for eight years before graduating with honors from Whittier Law School in 1996. During law school, she was selected as a Judicial Extern to the Hon. Norman L. Epstein of the California Court of Appeal and Hon. Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Ms. Sutherland’s early legal career included work as a Research Attorney with the L.A. Superior Court, Family Law Division, before moving into private practice. Her accomplishments include several published appellate decisions, one of the nation’s largest civil rights verdicts against CPS, and recognition as a CLAY "Attorney of the Year" in 2012 for family law. Committed to community service, Ms. Sutherland’s pro bono efforts have earned her the State Bar’s pro bono award. She is active in numerous professional organizations, including the American Bar Association, San Diego County Bar Association, and the American Inns of Court.
About Sondra S. Sutherland
Awards
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Leave a review about your experience with this lawyer.Excellent lawyer. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Did a great job preparing materials for my case. Very organized, and was quick to answer any questions I had. Did a great job during the trial. I retained her services a second time for a different matter.
Sondra Sutherland came to me very highly recommended and took my case which was concerned with a business contract dispute which turned out to be very complicated. She succeeded admirably in representing my concerns. She expended great effort in understanding my case and my position and laid out a program of how to prosecute it. Ms. Sutherland kept on top of every twist and turn as the case unfolded and kept me informed of every move and clearly schooled me in the pertinent law that I might follow the proceedings and, more to the point, understand them. For instance, she explained so that I could understand every decision that had to be made and got my permission to move ahead where appropriate. I feel absolutely no reservation in recommending Ms. Sutherland in handling any matter that she feels competent in addressing. Without her tireless effort and depth of understanding of the particulars of my case and her ability to navigate legal and courtroom detail.
Sondra Sutherland took on my case which was very complex and challenging which involved the reneging of an investment contract by the other party. Sondra always kept me informed throughout the process and worked tirelessly, which paid off in a successful outcome of my case. I HIGHLY recommend Sondra!
Mrs. Sutherland communicates excellent with her clients throughout the entire legal process and although she is categorized as a Family Law Attorney her knowledge of the law expands way beyond those parameters. The case Mrs. Sutherland handled for me was difficult and complex dealing with contractual law a jury trail and with two opposing Law Firms that practiced dishonesty a lack of morals and integrity of their profession. These practices were exposed after a five year battle which if it wasn’t for Mrs Sutherlands expertise, knowledge of the law and her unwavering tenacity, I’m not certain we would have had the complete and total success that we had. Mrs. Sutherlands understanding of the law was beyond impressive coupled with what I would describe as a bull dog approach in a very professional manner which led to successful compelling arguments in our favor. I would highly recommend Mrs. Sutherland to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, competent, hardworking and honest Attorney.
Great representation. Knows the laws and the workings of a court room. Articulated my case accurately and won! She walked me through the process throughout my case and kept me updated. Made me feel confident that she was the right person to have on my side.
Sondra is an outstanding lawyer that is able to deal with complicated and very messy cases. She is honest, transparent and hardworking. I hired Sondra for my divorce. She guided me through the process, explained what needed to be done and why. We dealt with many complex and emotional issues. She was patient, knowledgeable and professional. She has my highest recommendation.
My case in dealt with a civil matter and a juvenile. Although Ms. Sutherland is not all to familiar with Juvenile law, she worked with another attorney and educated herself very quickly. She did a stellar job on a very complicated case.
I simply would not recommend her services to anyone.
Not an effective lawyer and unable to communicate issues in the case.
Services
Areas of Law
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Litigation
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Appellate Practice
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Family Law 6
- Divorce
- Child Custody
- Child Support
- Paternity
- Premarital Agreements
- Spousal Support
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Domestic Partnerships
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Personal Injury
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Domestic Violence
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Restraining Orders
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Annulment
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Other 7
- Employment Law
- Fraud and Deceit
- Community Property Law
- Marital Agreements
- Marital Property Settlements
- Post Divorce Modification
- Domestic Torts
Practice Details
Experience
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Bar Admission & MembershipsAdmissions1996, California
1997, U.S. District Court, Central District of California
1997, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
1999, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
2006, U.S. Supreme Court
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Education & CertificationsLaw SchoolWhittier Law School
Class of 1996
J.D.
cum laude; #11 in Class, Top 7%; Dean's List; Honor Roll; Teaching Assistant, Contracts and Advanced Legal Writing; Merit Scholarship, David Holtz Memorial Scholarship, General Scholarship; Am Jur Bancroft-Whitney Award, Professional Responsibility; Am Jur Bancroft-Whitney Award, Advanced Legal Writing; Cali Excellence for the Future Award, Arbitration; Cali Excellence for the Future Award, Securities Regulation
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Personal Details & HistoryAgeBorn in 1962
Kansas City, Missouri, October 15, 1962
Contact Sondra S. Sutherland
11440 W. Bernardo Court, Suite 300San Diego, CA 92127U.S.A.
Show on map760-751-9100
- Monday 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Tuesday 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Wednesday 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Thursday 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Friday 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Email Sondra S. Sutherland
Attorneys FAQs
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What year was this attorney first admitted to the bar?Sondra S. Sutherland was admitted in 1996 to the State of California.
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Is this attorney admitted to practice in any U.S. Federal Courts?Sondra S. Sutherland is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, United States District Court for the Central District of California, United States District Court for the Southern District of California and United States Supreme Court.
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What law school did this attorney attend?Sondra S. Sutherland attended Whittier Law School.