Lisamarie Bristol (J.D. '09)

Lisamarie Bristol (J.D. ’09) is an adjunct professor at Georgia State University College of Law, where she teaches a Lawyering Advocacy class to second-year law students. Professor Bristol was sworn into office on January 1, 2023 as the Gwinnett County solicitor general, Professor Bristol is the first African-American woman to hold this position.

She received her law degree from Georgia State University College of Law in 2009, after earning her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with specialized honors from York University in Toronto, Ontario Canada. She was admitted to the Georgia State Bar in 2009. Following law school, Professor Bristol worked as a public defender where she handled a diverse caseload representing people charged with felony and misdemeanor crimes. She also handled criminal cases in Traffic Court, State Court, Superior Court and the Court of Appeals.

She transitioned into prosecution in 2014 and joined the DeKalb County Solicitor-General’s office as an assistant solicitor general.  There, she was assigned to the Special Victims Unit handling cases involving more serious incidents of domestic violence, crimes against vulnerable victims, elder abuse cases, stalking cases and animal cruelty cases. Professor Bristol joined the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office in early 2018, as a senior assistant district attorney, her caseload included all types of felony cases.  In 2021, she returned to DeKalb County, and became an senior assistant district attorney in the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit (DeKalb County) District Attorney’s Office, where she was assigned to Crime Strategies and Community Partnerships Unit (CSCPU), giving her a greater opportunity to work within the community, while still serving as a prosecutor.

In 2017, Professor Bristol was invited to join a multi-disciplinary team consisting of prosecutors, Law enforcement officers, social workers and medical professionals from across the country who teach other prosecutors and law enforcement officers about prosecuting elder abuse cases. As part of this team, she has traveled across the country conducting trainings and teaching at conferences. Professor Bristol has also assisted in the revision of a nationally used curriculum, funded by the Department of Justice.

In 2018, Lisamarie was honored to be selected as part of the inaugural Top 40 under 40 Alumni from Georgia State University for her contributions to the community since graduating from law school. Professor Bristol continues to be involved in her community through her work with various organizations, including the Greater Atlanta Black Prosecutors Association, where she serves as president; the Gwinnett chapter of the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL); the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA); the Gwinnett County Bar Association; and the Gate City Bar Association.