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Overview

Overview

Desjeneé Davis is an associate in the firm’s Philadelphia office. She has experience representing municipalities, government agencies, and public employees. Desjeneé has successfully managed and defended high-exposure matters involving civil rights claims, constitutional challenges, municipal liability, regulatory enforcement, and other complex litigation. She also specializes in matters involving significant financial, operational, and reputational risk. Her experience spans all phases of litigation, including pre-suit investigations, discovery, motion practice, settlement negotiations, trial preparation, and jury trials.

Desjeneé understands that effective advocacy requires more than legal analysis. She is known for developing creative investigative strategies that uncover critical facts early, allowing clients to make informed decisions, minimize exposure, and often resolve disputes before they escalate. Her practical and solutions-oriented approach has helped secure favorable outcomes in matters where early intervention, strategic negotiation, and thoughtful risk mitigation proved just as valuable as courtroom advocacy.

Desjeneé has extensive trial experience and has handled numerous matters through verdict. She has played a key role in training and developing litigators, serving as a jury trial instructor within the Philadelphia Law Department’s Litigation Group, where she helped prepare attorneys to advocate effectively before judges and juries. Her ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly and persuasively is a hallmark of both her litigation and teaching practice.

Desjeneé  serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, where she teaches Introduction to Trial Skills, and as Director of the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, a nationally recognized civic education program.  She has held leadership positions in numerous professional and community organizations dedicated to advancing the profession, promoting diversity in the legal field, and creating opportunities for emerging attorneys. Through her work as a mentor, educator, and organizational leader, she has become widely recognized for her commitment to service, professional excellence, and community impact.

A graduate from Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Desjeneé competed on Kline Law’s nationally ranked mock trial team. While at the Kline School of Law, she also served as intern at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and as a judicial intern for the Honorable Theodore A. McKee of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Experience

Experience

Representative Experience

  • Obtained defense verdict in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Plaintiff alleging wrongful incarceration and civil rights violations.
  • Obtained defense verdict in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas against a Plaintiff alleging wrongful incarceration.
  • Obtained verdicts favorable to the City of Philadelphia in over 50+ cases against individuals and corporations who were found to be in violation of the Philadelphia Code.
  • Obtained summary judgment in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on a matter of first impression regarding Fourteenth Amendment privacy interests of images of family members. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court’s decision.
  • Obtained summary judgment in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on a matter in which Plaintiff alleged negligent demolition of an unsafe structure against the City of Philadelphia. Subsequently successfully defended against Plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration.
  • Obtained summary judgment in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on a matter in which Plaintiff alleged negligent demolition and insufficient notice of their imminently dangerous structure.
  • Obtained dismissal on behalf of the City of Philadelphia in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in a matter involving the destruction of property that resulted from negligent construction by the co-defendant contractor.
  • Successfully negotiated settlement involving the demolition of a commercial property, saving Philadelphia taxpayers more than $350,000.00.
  • Achieved several favorable settlements in matters involving alleged injuries Plaintiffs sustained during police interactions.
  • Successfully defended the City of Philadelphia in civil disputes relating to demolition and abatement bills surpassing $1,000,000.00.

Honors

  • Amber Racine Legacy Award, The Foundation of the National Bar Association, Women Lawyers Division, Philadelphia Chapter
  • Champion of Diversity Award, Philadelphia Law Department
  • Alumni Award, Black Law Student Association of Drexel’s Kline School of Law
  • Sean Peretta Service Award, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Bar Association
  • Daniel J. Curtin Jr. Young Public Lawyer Award, International Municipal Lawyers Association
  • Community Service Award, Philadelphia Law Department
  • James J. Manderino Award for Trial Advocacy, Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association
  • Tobey Oxholm Fellowship, Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law 
  • Cali Award for Best Performance in Deposition Skills and Technology
  • Cali Award for Best Performance in Technology for Law Practice

Professional Affiliations

  • National Bar Association, Women Lawyers Division, Philadelphia Chapter
  • Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia
  • Philadelphia Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association

Civic Activities

  • National Bar Association, Women Lawyers Division, Philadelphia Chapter, Immediate Past President
  • Girls on a Mission with Ambition, Board Chair
  • Philadelphia Bar Association Diversity in the Profession Committee, Past Chair
  • Philadelphia Bar Association John S. Bradway Mock Trial, Mock Trial Coach
  • Philadelphia Bar Association Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee, Committee Member
  • Drexel’s Kline School of Law’s DiveIN: Sheller Diversity Pipeline Program, Mentor
  • Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law’s Black Law Student Association Mock Trial, Mock Trial Coach
  • Legal Intelligencer’s Young Editorial Board, Member

Publications

  • “Mastering the Art of Client Management,” The Legal Intelligencer, December 2024.

Speaking Engagements

  • “Litigating Against Unrepresented Parties: Guidance from the Academy, the Bench, and Practice,” Philadelphia Law Department: Live in the Big City 32 (Virtual CLE), June 2026.
  • “Community Lawyering and Grassroots Power,” University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, February 2026.
  • “HerStory: Policy, Civil Rights and Human Rights,” Black Women in Law (Virtual Panel) February 2026.
  • “Answering Liberty’s Call: MABLA Awards Gala,” Mid- Atlantic Black Law Students Association, February 2026.
  • “She Persuades: Advancing Excellence in Jury Trial Practice,” Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, December 2025.
  • “Public Interest Law,” University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, November 2025.
  • “Meeting the Moment: The New Playbook for Sustaining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in a Changing Legal and Political Environment,” Philadelphia Bar Association, July 2025.
  • “Adjunct Professor,” Philadelphia Law Department, May 2025.
  • “Law Student Forum: Summer Internship,” Philadelphia Bar Association, May 2025.
  • “Unraveling the Bar,” Pennsylvania Bar Association, April 2025 and May 2025.
  • “The Co-op experience,” Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, February 2025 and March 2025.
  • “LawHER: Navigating the Journey,” United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, July 2024.
  • “Minority Student Program: Pre-Law Academy,” Rutger School of Law (Virtual Panel), July 2024.
  • “Law Practice and Professional Satisfaction,” Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, April 2024.
  • “Creative Career Design for First Generation College Student,” The Collective Succus Network, April 2024.

Credentials

Credentials

Admitted to Practice

  • Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Education

  • Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, J.D.
  • Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, B.S. in Criminal Justice, B.A. in Psychology, Magna Cum Laude

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