05 Mar Recognizing OSAH’s Staff Attorneys By Judge Michael Malihi
Every year, OSAH is responsible for tens of thousands of cases involving dozens of state agencies and hundreds of distinct issues. A single week in the life of an OSAH judge may involve interpreting a new environmental regulation, adjudicating a licensing case involving an issue of first impression, and holding calendars involving hundreds of litigants at courthouses hundreds of miles apart.
The work judges are able to accomplish is nothing short of astounding. But, thankfully, they do not have to do it alone. Since 2007, our judges have been able to rely on the invaluable assistance of staff attorneys. The decision to add staff attorneys to our organization is part of the reason OSAH is currently the most effective and efficient administrative court in the nation. Currently, OSAH has six staff attorneys – Lisa Boggs, Dominic Capraro, Megan Long, Bryan Present, Jessica Wang, and Jennifer Williams.
Judges trust their staff attorneys to ensure that every decision they issue is well-written, with thorough analyses and accurate citations. In many instances, a staff attorney is primarily responsible for writing the decision in a case, with oversight from the judge. “I’m usually very involved in the process of drafting a decision,” says Dominic Capraro, who has been an OSAH staff attorney since 2013, “The judges are also very active in providing feedback on what I’ve written and supplying language that they would like to be in the decision.”
But staff attorneys do much more than write decisions and orders. To give just a few examples, Lisa Boggs and Dominic Capraro, who also serve as OSAH’s General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel, respectively, were instrumental in promulgating amendments to OSAH’s rules this year. Jennifer Williams, who has been an OSAH staff attorney since 2014, took the lead in updating OSAH’s employee handbook. Jessica Wang and Megan Long compile noteworthy OSAH decisions and publish them in the Administrative Law Report, OSAH’s online reporter. Bryan Present, OSAH’s newest staff attorney, tracks bills that affect administrative law during the legislative session.
The staff attorneys are integral to OSAH’s operations both in and out of court, and we are very grateful for their contributions to our organization. Each of them contributes his or her unique life, educational, and work experiences to our organization and I encourage you to read their bios, which appear below.
Lisa Boggs
Lisa Boggs joined OSAH in 2015 as a Staff Attorney. Chief Judge Malihi named Lisa as OSAH’s first General Counsel in May 2017, and she later became Chief of Staff in January 2018. Before joining OSAH, Lisa served as a Staff Attorney with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Lisa grew up in Georgia and graduated from Berry College, summa cum laude, with a degree in journalism. After working for newspapers in Georgia and South Carolina for five years, she returned to Atlanta to attend Georgia State University College of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude and was an Associate Research Editor for the Law Review.
Dominic Capraro
Dominic Capraro was raised in Marietta, Georgia, where he graduated from Lassiter High School. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Political Science from Kennesaw State University and later graduated cum laude from Georgia State University College of Law, where he was an Associate Research Editor for the Law Review. Dominic has been with the Office of State Administrative Hearings since 2013, and was appointed Deputy General Counsel in 2018. He is also the staff attorney for the Honorable Judge Barbara Brown.
Megan Long
Megan Long graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law, where she served as Lead Articles Editor for the Richmond Public Interest Law Review. At graduation, she received the ABA-Bloomberg BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Labor and Employment Law. Megan completed her undergraduate degree at Swarthmore College, where she majored in Sociology & Anthropology with a minor in Art History. At the Office of State Administrative Hearings, she serves as the staff attorney for the Honorable Judges Baxter, Beaudrot, and Howells. She is thrilled to be back in her hometown of Atlanta, serving the people of Georgia.
Bryan Present
Bryan Present was raised in Plantation, Florida. He attended Florida State University, where he earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and International Affairs. After completing his undergraduate education, Bryan attended Florida State University College of Law. Following his graduation from law school, Bryan remained in Tallahassee and worked for the Florida Senate for 4 years as an attorney for the Bill Drafting Office and the Committee on Community Affairs. Bryan joined the Office of State Administrative Hearings in 2018 and serves as the staff attorney for the Honorable Judges Fry, Kennedy, and Teate.
Jessica Wang
Jessica Wang graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, where she was an Executive Editor of the Michigan Law Review. After law school, Jessica was a litigator for five years at Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan (now Eversheds Sutherland), then clerked for the Honorable Alan J. Baverman, United States Magistrate Judge. At the Office of State Administrative Hearings, Jessica is the staff attorney for Chief Judge Malihi, Judge Schroer, and Judge Walker.
Jennifer Williams
Jennifer Williams was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She attended Oklahoma State University, where she earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Economics and International Business. After completing her undergraduate education, Jennifer moved to Athens, Georgia to attend the University of Georgia School of Law, where she graduated cum laude and served as a notes editor for the Georgia Journal of Intellectual Property Law. At the Office of State Administrative Hearings, Jennifer is the staff attorney for the Honorable Judges Barnes and Woodard. She also serves as the staff attorney for the Honorable Judge Larry O’Neal, Chief Judge of the Georgia Tax Tribunal.