About Phil
Phil Sandick built a layered academic foundation before he stepped into the courtroom. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in 2005, where he studied philosophy, sociology and psychology. He returned to Columbia for a master’s degree in oral history, awarded in 2009. Sandick completed both a J.D. and an LL.M. in International Human Rights at Northwestern University School of Law in 2014.
His early legal career included a federal clerkship. In 2014 he served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg in the Northern District of Georgia. That role placed him at the center of federal litigation and exposed him to the mechanics of civil and criminal procedure from the bench. The clerkship also framed his understanding of how district courts manage complex dockets and craft rulings that shape litigation strategy.
After his clerkship Sandick moved into private practice. By 2016 he was an associate at Alston & Bird LLP. At the firm he worked alongside litigators and attorneys who handled a range of matters that required familiarity with federal practice and appellate procedure. His time in private practice followed naturally from his judicial experience, and it broadened his exposure to client counseling, motion practice and discovery management.
Sandick’s academic background — combining philosophy and social sciences with oral history and international human rights law — gives him a distinctive perspective on legal issues. The LL.M. in International Human Rights suggests an interest in cross-border norms and the legal frameworks that govern rights and remedies. His M.A. work at Columbia likely sharpened research and interviewing skills that translate to factual development and witness preparation in litigation.
Colleagues describe Sandick as deliberate in his approach to legal problems. He has worked on matters that require careful statutory and doctrinal analysis, and he is accustomed to drafting briefs and presenting arguments grounded in precedent. His federal clerkship experience continues to inform how he frames legal issues for judges and how he anticipates courtroom questions.
Sandick is admitted to practice in Georgia. He has combined judicial experience and law firm practice in recent years and continues to handle litigation-related matters that reflect that background. His current practice centers on litigation work that draws on federal court experience and private practice assignments.
