Overview
Work History
Education
Bar Admission
Timeline
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Bernadine Ott

Salt Lake City,UT

Overview

5
5
years of professional experience

Work History

Associate Attorney

Meredith Sunia Law
Tafuna, American Samoa
03.2025 - Current
  • Drafted pleadings and prepared filings in estate administration, adoption, and land & titles proceedings.
  • Researched legal issues and drafted memoranda, letters, and advocacy documents for administrative law matters before government agencies.
  • Conducted legal research on territorial and federal tax law issues to support client advisory and compliance work.

Assistant Public Defender

American Samoa Government Office of the Public Defender
Fagatogo, American Samoa
09.2024 - 02.2025
  • Represented indigent clients in felony, misdemeanor and juvenile proceedings from arraignment through resolution.
  • Conducted client interviews, legal research, case investigation, and successfully negotiated plea deals resulting in reduced sentences.
  • Advocated in court by handling jury trials, bench trials, motion hearings, and other contested proceedings.

Associate Legal Consultant

American Samoa Government Office of the Secretary
Fagatogo, American Samoa
01.2024 - 08.2024
  • Collaborated with departmental heads to review and update administrative laws, ensuring alignment with statutory authority and current practices.
  • Drafted and revised bills for submission to the Fono (Legislature of American Samoa) and assisted in the legislative process.
  • Prepared legal memoranda, correspondence, and policy recommendations to support the Office’s regulatory and legislative functions.
  • Advised on compliance with territorial laws and procedures governing administrative agencies and legislative submissions.

Associate Attorney

Nelson, Taylor & Associates
Salt Lake City, UT
09.2022 - 12.2023
  • Conducted research using legislation, case law, and other legal texts as sources to determine appropriate legal strategy.
  • Drafted legal texts, including motions, affidavits, memorandums, wills, trusts, durable power of attorney, healthcare power of attorney and settlement agreements.
  • Represented clients at meetings, mediations, hearings and informal trials.

Law Clerk

Bateman IP
Salt Lake City, UT
11.2021 - 09.2022
  • Conducted research using legislation, case law, patent, and trademark databases.
  • Compiled documents and research in response to discovery requests.

Law Clerk

Utah Juvenile Defenders Association
Salt Lake City, UT
08.2020 - 12.2020
  • Conducted juvenile delinquency court observations for the Juvenile Defense Research Project.
  • Researched racial justice issues for a template motion, specifically stereotype threat, police interactions and policing as trauma.

Law Clerk

Immigrant Legal Services
Salt Lake City, UT
05.2020 - 08.2020
  • Participated in client intake meetings to gather information for immigration applications.
  • Prepared immigration applications, briefs for asylum cases and other legal documents.
  • Performed legal research on exceeding the one-year filing deadline for an affirmative asylum claim.

Education

Juris Doctor -

University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Salt Lake City, UT
05-2022

Bachelor of Science - Political Science

University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
05-2018

Bar Admission

  • Utah
  • American Samoa

Timeline

Associate Attorney

Meredith Sunia Law
03.2025 - Current

Assistant Public Defender

American Samoa Government Office of the Public Defender
09.2024 - 02.2025

Associate Legal Consultant

American Samoa Government Office of the Secretary
01.2024 - 08.2024

Associate Attorney

Nelson, Taylor & Associates
09.2022 - 12.2023

Law Clerk

Bateman IP
11.2021 - 09.2022

Law Clerk

Utah Juvenile Defenders Association
08.2020 - 12.2020

Law Clerk

Immigrant Legal Services
05.2020 - 08.2020

Juris Doctor -

University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law

Bachelor of Science - Political Science

University of Utah

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Bernadine Ott