Amy Leifur Halby

Amy Leifur Halby joined the firm in 2013 after having worked for a small Bay Area litigation firm. Her practice is devoted to the defense of claims against public entities, including counties, cities, towns, utility districts, school districts, and community colleges. Ms. Halby represents public entities and their employees in cases alleging employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as police departments in cases alleging excessive force, false arrest, and related civil rights claims. In addition, she represents public entities in the defense of personal injury claims, including dangerous condition of public property and negligence claims, as well as inverse condemnation claims involving landslides, public improvement disruptions, catastrophic floods and fires, and other natural disasters. She also represents school districts in negligent supervision, discrimination, retaliation, and civil rights actions related to access to public education.

 

Ms. Halby graduated cum laude from San Francisco State University in 2008, earning her BA in Communications Studies and a certificate in Conflict Resolution with an emphasis on Legal and Political issues in the United States. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree and a Public Interest Law Certificate with Honors from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2012. While attending the University of San Francisco, she served as the Co-Chair for the Public Interest Law Foundation, as Case Counsel for USF Law’s Moot Court program, and as a certified law student for the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic. During law school, Ms. Halby participated in several moot court and appellate advocacy competitions, where she received an Outstanding Individual Achievement in Oral Argument Award from the Roger J. Traynor California Appellate Moot Court Competition and the Director’s Award from the USF Law Intensive Advocacy Program.

 

An active member of the State Bar of California since 2012, Ms. Halby is admitted to the Federal District Court for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California, as well as the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

 

Presentations:

 

California Association of Joint Powers Authorities (CAJPA) – March 2016: “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You: Avoiding Negligent Supervision Claims in Schools”

 

Public Agency Risk Management Association (PARMA) – February 2019: “Avoiding the Danger Zone: Minimizing Risk and Defending Claims for Dangerous Conditions of Public Property, Inverse Condemnation, and Violation of Mandatory Duties”

 

Public Agency Risk Management Association (PARMA) – February 2020: “Walking the Line of Dangerous Condition and Inverse Condemnation Claims”