Monica L. Hess

Monica is a labor and employment associate in the firm’s Atlanta office. She helps employers facing claims brought under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment act, and related state laws.

Monica graduated with honors from Emory University School of Law, where she served as Director in Chief of Emory Law’s Mock Trial Team. In law school, she was recognized on numerous occasions for her skills in trial advocacy, being awarded the Best Closing Argument at the Peter James Johnson ’49 National Civil Rights Competition, being recognized as a Semi-Finalist at the 2023 Summit Cup and the 2024 National Trial Competition, Region VI, and earning accolades such as Best Class Performance in Trial Practice Advocacy and the Kessler-Eidson Scholarship for her performance in Emory’s Trial Techniques Program. Following receipt of the Kessler-Eidson Scholarship, Monica acted as a 3L Coordinator and Teaching Assistant for the 2024 Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques. At graduation, she was inducted into the Order of the Barristers for excellence in advocacy and received the Pro Bono Publico Medal for completing over 75 hours of Pro Bono work while in law school.

Outside of the classroom, Monica gained experience at the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Northern District of Georgia as an intern in the Complex Fraud Division. Working under the Third-Year Practice Act, Monica represented the United States at Plea Hearings, Sentencings, Bond Revocations, and Trial. She received a U.S. Attorney’s Award for “Superior Performance by a Litigative Team” for her work in United States v. Shelitha Robertson, where the jury returned a guilty verdict on all five counts of the indictment.

Before law school, Monica graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where she competed as a member of the Undergraduate Mock Trial Team and Swim Team. She remains a fan of the Cornhuskers and can be found watching Husker Football every Saturday in the Fall. Monica continues to stay involved in the community and acts as a Volunteer for Decatur High School Mock Trial, Emory University Undergraduate Mock Trial, and Emory Law Mock Trial Team.