Lisa Y. Settles

Ms. Settles is an experienced trial attorney who represents corporate clients and governmental entities in federal and state courts.  She primarily defends private and public sector employers including boards of education and religious institutions in civil actions, including race, religious, gender and disability discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, child sex abuse, premises liability, wrongful discharge, FMLA, motor tort, and contract claims.

Ms. Settles manages all phases of civil litigation in federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels, including fact investigation, pre-trial discovery, extensive motions practice, settlement negotiations, witness preparation, trial advocacy and post-trial motions.  She routinely represents employers in disciplinary proceedings, including termination hearings and appeals, provides counsel to executive and managerial personnel in employment matters, and defends and prosecutes discrimination and relation claims before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights.

Personal Information

Bar Admission

• Supreme Court of the United States of America
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• United States District Court for the District of Maryland
• Court of Appeals of Maryland

Education

• University of Baltimore School of Law, Juris Doctor, May 1995
• University of Baltimore School of Liberal Arts, Master in Public Administration, December 1994
• Towson State University, Bachelor of Science, May 1988

Bar Associations

• Baltimore County Bar Association
• Maryland State Bar Association

Representative Cases

• Ballinger v. Bd. of Educ. of Prince George’s Cnty., Civ. Action No. GJH-15-3769, 2017 WL 6759379 (D. Md., Dec. 29, 2017)(granting summary judgment in favor of defendant employer in sexual harassment and retaliation action brought by school guidance counselor)
• Brady v. Bd. of Educ. of Prince George’s Cnty., 222 F. Supp. 3d 459 (D. Md. 2016)(granting summary judgment in favor of defendant employer in disability discrimination, retaliation and constructive discharge action brought by teacher), aff’d, 2018 WL 272017 (4th Cir., Jan. 3, 2018)
• Gibbs v. Bd. of Educ. of Dorchester Cnty., 2017 WL 68637 (D. Md. Jan. 6, 2017)(granting summary judgment in favor of defendant employer in race discrimination/retaliation action brought by African American female non-certificated employee), aff’d, 698 Fed. Appx. 75 (4th Cir. 2017)
• Hammonds v. of Educ. of Baltimore Cnty, et al., Baltimore County Circuit Court, Case No. 03-C-11-009423OC (April 23, 2015)(race discrimination case brought by African American alternative school educator resulting in defense verdict following a three-day jury trial)
• Karol v. Bd. of Educ. of Calvert Cnty., 2017 WL 6555659 (D. Md., Dec. 22, 2017)(dismissing gender and age discrimination action against board of education employer by school administrator)
• McCloud v. Adoptions Together, Inc., Baltimore City Circuit Court, Case 24C03006488 (Sept. 9, 2003)(granting summary judgment to employer in wrongful discharge action by African American female employee), aff’d, Appeal No. 2009/04 (Md. App., June 26, 2006)(unreported)
• Miller v. of Educ. of Baltimore Cnty, et al., Baltimore County Circuit Court, Case No. 24C08004966 (May 15, 2014)(civil rights action brought by former classroom teacher resulting in defense verdict following a three-day jury trial), aff’d Appeal No. 1853/14 (Md. App., June 27, 2016)(unreported), cert. denied Petition Docket No. 363, Sept. Term (Md. 2016)
• Muse-Ariyoh v. Bd. of Educ. of Prince George’s Cnty., Prince George’s County Circuit Court, for Prince George’s Cnty., Case No. CAL15-16583 ( 8, 2016) (granting summary judgment in favor of defendant employer in race and national origin discrimination and retaliation action brought by African American male non-certificated employee), aff’d 175 A.3d 886, 2017 WL 6539391 (Md. App., Dec. 21, 2017)
• Parris v. Baltimore      Bd.   of Educ.,  Civ. Action No. 1:09–cv–00704-BEL, (D.  Md.  July 26, 2011)(granting summary judgment in favor of employer in race discrimination action brought by African American school administrator), aff’d 473 Fed. Appx. 346 (4th Cir. 2012)
• Tawes v. Bd. of Educ. of Somerset Cnty., et al., 2017 WL 6313945 (D. Md., Dec. 11, 2017)(dismissing federal claims against defendant school board in student bullying case and granting summary judgment in favor of school board on remaining state law claim on remand (Aug. 30, 2018))

Community and Leadership Activities

• Baltimore County Bar Association
  • Member-at-Large, Executive Council, 2015-present
  • Chair, Civics & Law Academy, 2015-2016
  • Vice Chair, Civics & Law Academy, 2014-2015
  • Chair, Law Day Committee, 2013-2014
  • Vice Chair, Law Day Committee, 2012-2013
• Dissenters Law Club, 2018-present
• Hannah More School
  • Board of Directors, 2010-2012
  • Chair, Personnel Committee, 2010-2012
• Leadership – Baltimore County, Class of 2006
• Maryland Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Maryland State Bar Association, Faculty: Professional Responsibility Course, 2008-2011
• Maryland Council of Local School Board Attorneys, 2003-present
• National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys, 2003-present
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, 1987-present
  • Executive Board, Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter, 2005-2008, 2012-2016
  • Executive Committee, Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter, 2005-2008, 2012-2016
  • Historian, Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter, 2012-2016
  • Chair, 30^th Anniversary Committee, Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter, 2014
  • Parliamentarian, Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter, 2005-2008
  • Chair, Policies & Procedures, Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter, 2005-2008
  • President, Mu Mu City-wide Chapter, 1987-1988
• The Links, Incorporated, 2009-present
  • Corresponding Secretary, Patapsco River Chapter, 2018-present
  • Executive Council, Patapsco River Chapter, 2014-2016; 2018-present
  • Member-at-Large, Patapsco River Chapter, 2014-2016
  • Chaplin, Patapsco River Chapter, 2012-2014
  • Chair, Scholarship Committee, 2010-2012
• Adult & Mass Choirs, Church of the Redeemed of the Lord, 2008-present

Additional Information

• Selected for inclusion in Maryland’s Super Lawyers, 2015-2020
• Leadership in Law Award, 2017
• Maryland’s Top 100 Women (2009, 2012)
• Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society
• Defense Trial Lawyers Association (Defense Research Institute)
• Maryland Council of Local School Board Attorneys
• National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys
• Faculty, Maryland State Bar Association, Professionalism Course (2008 thru 2011)
• Faculty, MICPEL (The ABC’s of Special Education Law) (June 2007)
• Presenter, Baltimore County Bar Association (Special Education Overview) (March 2007)
• Staff Editor, Law Forum
• Legal Writing Mentor
• Moot Court Mentor

Super Lawyer