Justin Sanders
USC Gould School of Law

Justin Sanders is a co-managing partner in Sanders Roberts LLP. His practice focuses on business litigation, general liability defense and the representation of medical professionals. He also has extensive experience in criminal matters.

Sanders began his legal career at the Los Angeles office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, where he worked on several high-profile cases. At Sheppard Mullin, he successfully represented businesses, physicians and politicians in high-stakes litigation.

After three years at Sheppard Mullin, Sanders was recruited to government service by then-Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky J. Delgadillo. In addition to serving as a chief aide to the City Attorney, Sanders managed the city’s relationship with private law firms — upgrading services, cutting costs, regaining control over a $37 million yearly budget and restoring the trust and confidence of the public, the city council and the mayor. He also oversaw the city’s most important litigation and prosecuted scores of criminal cases.

Sanders returned to the private sector a few years later, serving as a senior associate at the Los Angeles office of Sidley Austin LLP, an international, full-service law firm. At Sidley, he represented business owners and land owners in an array of litigation. In addition, he represented Willie Earl Scott, an inmate on the State of Alabama’s Death Row, pro bono.

Sanders founded Sanders Roberts LLP in 2008. Since that time, his practice has focused on business litigation and the representation of medical professionals. In 2010, he won the largest known police brutality settlement in the history of the County of Los Angeles (Dupree v. County of Los Angeles, et al.). That same year, he successfully represented the first Latina neurosurgeon in the history of the State of California in a licensing case before the Court of Appeal for the State of California (Marquez v. Medical Board of California, 182 Cal.App.4th 548, 2010). Sanders has represented numerous doctors, acupuncturists, nurses and other medical professionals in a host of administrative matters and lawsuits.

He represents businesses and individuals in litigation involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, negligent misrepresentation, fraud and other matters.

Sanders graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in political science, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 2000, winning the prestigious Crispus Wright Scholarship and the Steven B. Sample Presidential Fellowship. He was admitted to the Bar in 2000. Sanders is a member of the Board of Directors of the USC Gould School of Law Alumni Association and the Watts Learning Center Board of Directors. He also is a member of the prestigious California Club, and has served as guest commentator on NBC. 

FACULTY IN THE NEWS

Politi Fact
May 23, 2023
Re: David B. Cruz

Professor David Cruz was recently interviewed about a controversial bill that was passed in Connecticut. "Paying even modest attention to the bill’s definitions should make it clear beyond doubt that it will not be the source of protections based upon the age of people to whom one is attracted or with whom one has sex," Cruz said.

RECENT SCHOLARSHIP

Robin Craig
April, 2023

"Fish, Whales, and a Blue Ethics for the Anthropocene: How Do We Think About the Last Wild Food in the Twenty-First Century?," 95:6 Southern California Law Review 1307-1343 (April 2023).

Robin Craig
April, 2023

"California Exceptionalism in the Colorado River: A Brief History and Implications for the Future."

Robin Craig
April, 2023

"Toward a Global Sustainable Development Agenda Built on Resilience" (with Murray W. Scown, Craig R. Allen, Lance Gunderson, David G. Angeler, Jorge H. Garcia, & Ahjond Garmestani), Global Sustainability (online publication April 2023).