Attorney Profiles

Sandra L. Blevins

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Sandra Blevins has that highly sought gem of career alignment with her sense of values. "What gives meaning to my work is the fact that I am in a position to help people and can make a difference by making the workplace more fair," she explains. "This is why I feel such a great responsibility to do an outstanding job for every client that comes through the door." Sandra's areas of legal focus cover employment law, civil rights, general litigation, and media law.

Sandra became a Betz & Associate advocate for individuals in 2003 after leaving the Indianapolis law firm Leagre Chandler & Millard. While there, she concentrated her practice on labor and employment law, providing employment-related counsel to startup companies and small firms lacking human resources departments. To enhance her knowledge of the human resources environment as a practitioner of employment law, Sandra studied for and passed the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) exam. Holding the SPHR designation, combined with her former background in defending employers against employee claims and providing HR counsel to employers, gives her an invaluable global perspective that informs her work on employment rights cases at Betz & Associates.

During her three years at Leagre Chandler & Millard, Sandra achieved a significant record in successfully handling employment law matters, which included: representing clients in mediations before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); preparing more than 100 position statements in response to EEOC charges of discrimination; composing and editing more than 50 employee handbooks; drafting and reviewing hundreds of employment agreements involving non-competition, non-solicitation, settlement, severance, confidentiality, and general employment releases; counseling national organizations on hiring, retention, and termination issues; and conducting management training programs on discrimination, anti-harassment, and diversity.

From 1991 - 2000 Sandra worked for Krieg DeVault, LLP, in Indianapolis, where she met Kevin Betz. Sandra came up through the ranks at Krieg DeVault, initially working as a legal secretary then law clerk, obtaining her law degree in 1996, and spending the next four years practicing in the areas of employment law, ERISA (Employment Retirement Income Security Act), and general litigation. She defended employers against discrimination claims arising under, among others, the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), ADEA (Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967), FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), Title VII (of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), and Title IX (of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibiting sex discrimination in education). As well, she assisted with general litigation involving ERISA, commercial transactions, trade secrets, contract disputes, and collection and trust matters.

Sandra received her bachelor of arts degree in English from The Ohio State University in 1986. She graduated from the Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis in 1996.

She is a member of the Indianapolis Bar Association, Indiana State Bar Association, National Employment Lawyers Association, and the Society for Human Resource Management. She is admitted to practice law in all courts in the state of Indiana, including the Indiana Supreme Court as well as the U.S. District Court's Northern and Southern Districts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Bar Admissions:

Indiana, 1996

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 1996

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, 1996

U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 1998

Indiana Supreme Court, 1996

Education:

The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio: B.A. in English, 1986

Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana: J.D., 1996

Professional Associations and Memberships:

Member - Indiana State Bar Association

Member - Indianapolis Bar Association

Member - National Employment Lawyers Association

Member - Society for Human Resource Management

Certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)