Overview
James T. Sasser dedicates his practice primarily to Governmental Affairs and Administrative Law. His practice, James T. Sasser Attorney at Law is located in Birmingham, Alabama.
Areas of Practice:
Governmental Affairs
Administrative Law
Admissions:
Admitted to practice in Alabama in
1981 and Georgia in 2007. Admitted to
all United States District Courts in Alabama and to the United States District
Courts for the Middle District and Northern District of Georgia. Admitted to the Eleventh Circuit Court of
Appeals. Admitted to the United States
Supreme Court and the United States Court of Claims.
Memberships:
Alabama State Bar – Member,
Section on Elections, Ethics, and Government Relations Law; Former member,
Legislative Liaison Committee, Committee on the Future of the Profession,
Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, Chairman, Mid-Year Meeting Committee,
Disciplinary Committee, Task Force on Judicial Building, Young Lawyers Executive
Committee; American Bar Association;
former delegate, ABA Young Lawyers Division to three (3) ABA national meetings;
Alabama Defense Lawyers Association; Defense Research Institute;
Former member, American Trial
Lawyers Association; Barrister, American Inns of Court (Montgomery and Etowah
Counties, Alabama).
Biography
During his professional career, James T. Sasser has engaged in
a civil litigation practice with trial experience in over 500 non-jury and
administrative hearings and over 150 jury trials in both state and federal
courts in Alabama and Georgia. The vast majority of these involved the defense
of professional malpractice, personal injury, securities fraud, governmental
liability, products liability, construction litigation and business tort and
workers’ compensation cases. A
significant portion of his practice has also been devoted to administrative law,
which has resulted in gaining expertise regarding the Alabama Administrative
Procedures Act and operation of various federal and state boards and agencies. Some of the boards/agencies James Sasser represented or practiced before are the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Federal Communication Commission, the Alabama Department of Transportation, the
Alabama Department of Corrections, the Alabama State Health Planning and
Development Agency, the Alabama Board of Nursing, the Alabama Board of Medical
Examiners, the Alabama Board of Auctioneers, the Alabama Insurance Department,
the Alabama Ethics Commission, the Alabama Securities Commission, the Alabama
Electronic Security Board of Licensure, the Alabama Beverage Control Board, the
City of Gadsden, Alabama, the City of Gadsden Civil Service Board, and the City
of Attalla, Alabama.
Part of his responsibilities
with law firms includes budgeting and handling personnel with staffs ranging
from 5 to 20 people. Additionally, his involvement with a non-profit foundation, with a budget of over $5 million per
year, as a director for over twelve (12) years and chairman of the board for
two (2) years, required expertise in budgeting, fund raising, personnel
decisions, as well as long range planning and development.
Since January of 2011, James Sasser has devoted his professional time and practice to governmental affairs and administrative law. The many contacts he has made throughout the years in state and federal government have been
invaluable in expanding his practice.
Education:
The University of Alabama
School of Law, Class of 1981
The University of Alabama, B.
A. 1978.
Major:
History/English; Minor: Biology
Experience
Upon the creation of the Alabama Wireless 9-1-1 Board in 1998, he was appointed legal counsel for the Board and continued to serve in that capacity (except for a three (3) year period between 2002 and 2005). This board was charged with overseeing the implementation of enhanced 9-1-1 service for wireless devices as well as distributing approximately $30 million per year to the 88 emergency communication districts in Alabama and wireless carriers for cost recovery. James Sasser's duties included drafting of rules and regulations, participating in drafting and lobbying for amendments to legislation, routine legal advice and representing the Board in litigation. He is currently legal counsel for the Alabama Statewide 9-1-1 Board which assumed the duties of the Alabama Wireless 9-1-1 Board in October of 2013 and took on additional duties related to all 9-1-1 service in Alabama including both wire line and wireless connections.