Christine Dunn

As a Co-Managing Partner of the Washington, DC Office at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP, Christine Dunn co-chairs the firm's Sexual Violence, Title IX and Victims’ Rights Practice Group. From her base in Washington, D.C., she represents individuals and classes from all over the USA, with a staunch focus on sexual violence, Title IX and victims’ rights, whistleblower/qui tam matters and employment discrimination.

Ms. Dunn consistently fights for the rights of crime victims, especially victims of sexual assault and sexual abuse. Ms. Dunn works to hold institutions accountable when their negligent actions allow sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexual abuse to occur. She acts as a voice for victims while confronting various entities, such as schools, day care facilities, religious bodies, property owners and employers that have neglected their duty to safeguard adults and children from harm. In addition, her work is pivotal in exposing and rectifying breaches of Title IX by educational establishments, especially in cases involving sexual assault or sexual harassment. 

After graduating in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University, Ms. Dunn attended the University of Virginia School of Law to receive her J.D. in 1999. Admitted to practice law in Washington, D.C., in 2000, she is a distinguished member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars. She is widely recognized for her knowledge of victim advocacy and is renowned for delivering professional presentations on various pertinent topics. She also holds a membership in The National Crime Victims' Bar Association.

Ms. Dunn has earned high esteem for her work representing clients fighting injustice. Her list of accolades includes:

• Attaining a position among the 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers
• Being included in The National Trial Lawyers Civil Plaintiff Top 100 Trial Attorneys in Washington, D.C. (2023)
• Being honored as the 2023 Sexual Violence Litigation Lawyer of the Year by Lawyer Monthly - Women In Law Awards
• Being highlighted for her efforts in the Profiles in Diversity Journal - Women Worth Watching in Leadership (2022) and Latino Leadership Award (2023)
• Being identified as an eminent Plaintiffs' Attorney Trailblazer for 2023 by The National Law Journal

Prior to joining Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP, Ms. Dunn served as a law clerk for the Honorable Michael Farrell at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Subsequently, she became an associate at a Washington, D.C.-based law firm. Following her private practice, she worked at the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, prosecuting federal civil rights crimes cases. She also completed a detail as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, handling various criminal matters and appearing in court daily.