Amy F Scarr, S.C. | Madison Employment Law and Civil Rights Attorney
Amy F Scarr, S.C. | Madison Employment Law and Civil Rights Attorney
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Amy F. Scarr
AMY-F-SCAR-PHOTO
  • Solo Practitioner
Location:
Madison, WI
Phone:
(608) 729-4906
Fax:
608-255-6710
Email:

I am a solo practitioner with a passion for justice. I have been practicing law for over 30 years. I work hard on every case and approach each one, large or small, with a determination to get the best results possible. I relish representing the "Davids" against the "Goliaths" and have successfully taken on cases against large corporations, insurance companies, governments, and government officials, including police officers.

Communication between my clients and me is a priority, and I work together with my clients to master the details of their cases while always keeping the big picture in focus. I keep my clients informed at all stages of a case and take the time necessary to thoroughly prepare my clients and their witnesses for depositions and trial testimony.

Discriminatory treatment and harassment of employees, abuse by police and other governmental authorities, and negligent conduct that injures others—these are the wrongful acts that motivate me to pursue justice for those whose rights have been violated and who have been injured.

Areas Of Practice

  • Employment Discrimination
  • Civil Rights
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Retaliation
  • Racial Discrimination
  • Police Misconduct

Bar Admissions

  • Wisconsin, 1989
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin, 1989
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2014
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2016

Education

  • University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wisconsin
    • J.D. - 1989
  • University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
    • B.A. - 1980
    • Honors: With Distinction
    • Honors: Dean's List
    • Major: Psychology
    • Major: French

Published Works

  • "Coming to Terms with the Politics of Discourse: A Critique of Robin West's 'Jurisprudence and Gender,'" Wisconsin Women's Law Journal, Vol. 5, pp. 147-59, 1990
  • Translation from the French, Yves Dezalay, Austin Sarat, Susan Silbey, "From Dissident Challenge to Meritocratic Knowledge: Elements for a Social History of American Legal Sociology," University of Wisconsin Institute for Legal Studies, Working Paper 4-7, 1989
  • "Work Time, Family Time," The Public Eye, Madison: Center for Public Representation, September, 1988
  • "I've Been Thinking About Race...," The Verdict, Fall 2015

Representative Cases

  • Markham, et al. v. White, et al., 172 F.3d 486 (7th Cir. 1999) (class action sexual harassment/equal protection/Bivens case; interlocutory appeal of decision denying defendants qualified immunity; defendants’ motion denied)
  • Jim Walter Color Separations v. LIRC, 226 Wis. 2d 334, 595 N.W.2d 68 (Ct. App. 1999) (employment discrimination—sexual harassment—case under Wisconsin Fair Employment Act establishing new interpretation of employer liability under Wisconsin Fair Employment Act for sexual harassment committed by employer or employer’s agent)
  • Kolden v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., No. 04-C-968-S, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11410 (W.D. Wis., May 31, 2005) (employment discrimination—sexual harassment—case under Title VII; decision denying defendant’s summary judgment motion and finding that employer may be held liable for customer’s sexual harassment of employee)
  • Baines v. Walgreen Co., 863 F.3d 656 (7th Cir. 2017) (employment discrimination—retaliation—case under Title VII and 42 U.S.C. ¶ 1981; district court’s grant of summary judgment to defendant reversed)
  • Malone v. Hoogland Foods, LLC, No. 19-cv-891-wmc, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 195304 (W.D. Wis. Oct. 21, 2020) (employment discrimination—sexual harassment and retaliation—case under Title VII; defendant’s motion to compel arbitration denied)

Classes/Seminars

  • “Employment Discrimination: Strategies for Winning,” Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers, “Tort and Technique Update Seminar,” October 21, 2005, Madison, Wisconsin
  • “Comments on Plaintiff and Defense Expert Reports,” Wisconsin Association for Justice, “Tort and Technique Update Seminar,” October 24, 2008, Madison, Wisconsin
  • “Tips for Successful Employment Discrimination Cases,” Wisconsin Association for Justice, Women’s Caucus Seminar & Retreat, September 16, 2011, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
  • Panel on Sexual Harassment, Women in Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, November 28, 2017, Madison, Wisconsin
  • “Sexual Harassment: What You Need to Know,” Supreme Court of Wisconsin, 2018 Municipal Court Clerk Seminar, September 27, 2018, Stevens Point, Wisconsin
  • “Achieving Success in Sexual Harassment Cases: A Plaintiff Lawyer’s Perspective,” State Bar of Wisconsin, 2018 Wisconsin Solo and Small Firm Conference, October 27, 2018, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
  • “The Right to a Harassment Free Workplace,” Supreme Court of Wisconsin, 2019 Municipal Judge Court Administration Seminar, March 7, 2019, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
  • “Sowing the Seeds for Success in Civil Rights Cases,” presented with police practices expert Dennis Waller, Wisconsin Association for Justice webinar, May 27, 2021, Madison, Wisconsin

Honors and Awards

  • B.A., University of Wisconsin - Madison, graduated with distinction, 1980
  • Wisconsin Law Alumni Association Award (for significant contribution to life in the law school), 1989

Professional Associations and Memberships

State Bar of Wisconsin

State Bar of Wisconsin, Labor and Employment Law Section, Member; Board Member, 2004-14; Secretary of the Board, 2010-11; Chairperson-Elect, 2011-12; Chairperson, 2012-13; Immediate Past Chairperson, 2013-14

State Bar of Wisconsin, Civil Rights and Liberties Section, Member; Board Member, 2002-10; Chairperson of the Board, 2005-06; Immediate Past Chairperson, 2006-07

Dane County Bar Association

Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association

Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association

Legal Association for Women

National Employment Lawyers Association

Wisconsin Employment Lawyers Association

Wisconsin Association for Justice; Board of Directors, 2007-2015; Women’s Caucus, Vice-Chair, 2014; Chair, 2015

American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, Madison Lawyer Chapter, Board of Directors, 2024 –   ; Vice President of Programming, 2024 –

Past Employment Positions

  • Clifford & Reuter, S.C., 1991 to 1994
  • The Honorable Susan Steingass and The Honorable George Northrup, Dane County Circuit Court, Law Clerk, 1990 to 1991

Pro Bono Activities

  • Mentor, Legal Education Opportunities (LEO) Mentoring Program, University of Wisconsin Law School, 2003-05, 2006-09