Attorney Brittney Watkins is an associate at SWMW Law. She joined the firm in 2024, focusing her practice on helping individuals and families affected by mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
Before joining the firm, Brittney worked as an attorney at a St. Louis firm where she represented mesothelioma victims and their families. She also served as a staff attorney for a local organization where she represented families who lost loved ones to fatal state violence, individuals in jail and prison in civil jail and prison condition litigation, and individuals with municipal traffic offenses. Additionally, she provided community political education and helped families impacted by fatal state violence to organize, draft, and implement policies. She also served as law clerk for the Hon. Judge Danya Dayson, Deputy Presiding Judge, at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
An Advocate for Others
Brittney has spent her career as a tenacious advocate for others and was inspired to become an attorney at an early age.
“I knew early on that I wanted to commit my life to helping others,” she said. “Growing up in Velda Village Hills was an impetus to my journey to become an attorney and represent victims and oppressed people in St. Louis. I knew there were systemic issues that needed to change, and that in becoming an attorney I could do my part to bring about systemic change.”
Leveraging her legal acumen, insatiable desire to help others, and unique perspective, Brittney serves as a committed and unwavering partner to those she represents.
“I’ve spent much of my life working to amplify the voices of those who often go unheard,” she said. “As an attorney, I have the tools and experience to effectuate that aim, to fight for those who are most in need.”
A Trusted Partner
In working with Brittney, clients can expect a genuine, empathetic partner to help them navigate the legal landscape and secure them the justice they deserve.
“In my work as an attorney, I use a client-centered lawyering approach and I don’t just listen to my clients, but I collaborate with them on a journey for their justice,” she said. “They’re often facing some of the most devastating and tumultuous periods of their lives, and to be a great attorney who can truly help them, it takes not only razor-sharp legal instinct and knowledge, but also takes someone who will see them as a person, acknowledge their struggles with empathy, and communicate with them every step of the way.”
Outside of her work with the firm, Brittney has proven herself to be a leader in the legal community. While in law school, her Washington University School of Law Student Note was published in the Journal of Law and Policy in 2019. That note has been used nationally in law school curricula and was a required text for the National Sports Law Institute’s 30th anniversary conference. She also instructed the Fatal State Violence Liberation Lab for the 2022 Law for Black Lives Lawyering for Liberation Conference.
Brittney’s leadership in the legal community is mirrored by her leadership in the community. She serves as a board member for Community Organization to Engage, Uplift & Restore (C.O.E.U.R), a nonprofit that utilizes a holistic approach to provide needed services to youth, families, and individuals in the St. Louis area. Its mission is to enhance and expand opportunities for healthy living, social awareness, urban economic community development, and educational achievement.
Experience:
Brittney started her career as a practicing attorney at ArchCity Defenders in St. Louis, MO, where she handled various complex civil rights litigation matters, Missouri Sunshine Law violation suits, and municipal matters.
Education:
Washington University School of Law
St. Louis, MO
J.D.; Certificate in Public Interest Law
Princeton, University
Princeton, NJ
A.B. in Politics; Certificate in Latino Studies
Recognition & Awards:
The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (Missouri)
Washington University School of Law:
· Scholar in Law Award
· Public Interest Law Student of the Year
The Bar Plan Foundation Scholarship
Princeton University
· Martin Luther King Jr. Journey Award
· Alberto Santos Dumont Prize for Innovation
Publication:
Kaepernick Can Kick It!: Employment Discrimination, Political Activism, & Speech in the NFL, 59 Wash. U. J.L. & Pol’y 259 (2019).
Admissions
Missouri
Illinois
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
