Catherine S. Bernard
Founding Partner
Catherine Bernard leads the firm's criminal and trial practices. A skilled and dedicated advocate, she has successfully represented thousands of individuals facing serious criminal charges throughout Georgia.
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Her focus is on assisting those wrongfully accused reveal the truth and obtain justice, as well as helping people who have been charged with victimless crimes. She has experience in handling every type of criminal charge, and fighting for a fair and reasonable outcome at every step of the process.
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Catherine has won dozens of felony jury trials since entering criminal law practice in 2009, including over ten not guilty verdicts in 2017 alone. Dismissals and favorable plea offers are frequent results for her clients.
Catherine is nationally recognized for her aggressive and honest approach to jury trials, working to ensure that no innocent person is ever pressured into taking a plea.
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Catherine served as an assistant public defender for the Dublin Judicial Circuit before opening the Law Offices of Catherine S. Bernard in 2013. Previously, she was a litigation associate at Rogers & Hardin in Atlanta, working on securities and class action litigation along with local government matters. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and Emory University, where she studied political science and philosophy. She has also worked at the DC City Attorney's Office and a boutique family law firm in Beverly Hills. These experiences have helped Catherine understand the most unique and challenging circumstances her clients face.
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Catherine Bernard is devoted to helping victims of law enforcement violence and government overreach with strong, competent trial representation and community/media relations. She believes in the power of juries to find the truth, and works to shift power towards them instead of prosecutors and other government officials.
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Catherine has also been extensively involved in working to improve civic life in her community and across the state. In 2014, Catherine chaired a successful effort to defeat the Redevelopment Powers Law referendum – a legislative initiative that would have allowed city officials to take on massive debt without voter approval – in her home of Brookhaven. She served as President of the Brookhaven Community Police Academy and has been a frequent panelist and commentator on public safety and criminal justice issues across the state. She has been a candidate for state representative and a delegate to the Republican National Convention.
Catherine also is the founder of Spartacus Legal, a non-profit organization devoted to vindicating the rights of victims of government abuses and overreach.
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She resides in Brookhaven with her husband Eric, and enjoys reading, hiking, and yoga.
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COURT ADMISSIONS
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​Georgia Supreme Court
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Georgia Court of Appeals
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Northern District of Georgia
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Middle District of Georgia
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MEMBERSHIPS​
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Fully Informed Jury Association
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Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
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Georgia Republican Assembly
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Federalist Society
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Peachtree NORML
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Rotary Club of North Atlanta
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Law Enforcement Against Prohibition