Founded in 2024, Alice Donahue Investigations is dedicated to fostering safer, more respectful workplaces and school environments through thorough, impartial investigations that put people first.
My unique approach combines deep legal expertise with genuine empathy, ensuring that even the most sensitive matters are handled with both the precision they require and the human touch they deserve.
I am an experienced attorney and workplace investigator, licensed in California, and Association of Workplace Investigators (“AWI”) certified. I was first introduced to the practice of conducting workplace and school investigations while working as a Law Clerk with a prominent northern Californian investigations firm during my legal studies at UC Davis School of Law. I immediately became fascinated with the art and practice of conducting workplace and school investigations, and later began my career as an attorney with this same firm upon graduating from law school.
After working exclusively in investigations for several years, I transitioned to an education law firm, where I specialized in K-12 investigations, and advised clients on internal investigations and post-investigation discipline. I also led a training workshop with over 70 school district administrators on the best practices for conducting internal investigations, which is a service that I continue to offer in my current practice.
I then worked at another employment law firm providing traditional litigation defense to private-sector clients. Here, I saw directly how the quality of a workplace investigation can directly improve an employer’s defenses in litigation, shielding the employer from liability; and, conversely, how a botched internal investigation can expose an employer to costly consequences.
These myriad experiences working in employment and education law now allow me to approach my investigations with a well-rounded perspective, so I can better anticipate the needs of my clients.
I became passionate about conducting workplace and school investigations because the practice seems to perfectly combine my two sets of skills: On one hand, conducting an investigation requires an analytical, detail-oriented approach, and strong legal knowledge; On the other hand, however, an effective investigator also has high emotional intelligence, creativity, and the ability to convey complicated, nuanced ideas in a way that is succinct and digestible. Here, I’ve derived great value from my pre-law background in literature and interdisciplinary studies.
I completed my Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish Literature from the State University of New York at Geneseo (with a minor in French), and my Master of Arts in Latin American Studies (with a focus on Latin American Literature and Human Rights) from the University of New Mexico (“UNM”).
At UNM, I did much of my coursework in Spanish or Brazilian Portuguese, and I even traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a federal Foreign Language and Area Studies (“FLAS”) grant for intensive Portuguese language training. I focused my research on post-dictatorship literature in the Southern Cone of South America, centering specifically on themes of individual and collective memory, transitional justice, and the arts as a tool for post-conflict reconciliation.
Upon graduating, I published an article titled “A arquitetura do trauma: uma abordagem comparativa às construções da memória na literatura latino-americana pós-ditadura” (“The Architecture of Trauma: A Comparative Approach to Constructions of Memory in Post-Dictatorship Latin American Literature”) in Brasil/ Brazil: A Journal of Brazilian Literature at Brown University. The article compared two novels set in post-dictatorship Argentina and Brazil respectively and focused specifically on themes of individual and collective memory.
I continue to have strong interests in literature, the arts, intercultural exchange, and social issues both nationally and internationally. Like language study, literature in particular builds empathy and allows readers to understand the personal and cultural perspectives of people very different from themselves. I have found these skills and capacities to be invaluable in my practice as a workplace and school investigator.
Likewise, I also continue to maintain an interdisciplinary approach to conducting workplace and school investigations. While the practice is primarily based on legal skills, knowledge and analysis, I intentionally stay up to date on issues relating to implicit bias, the psychological study of human memory, and trauma-informed interviewing skills.
In my free time, I enjoy reading, traveling, cooking, swimming, and spending time outside. I regularly travel to New York and Paris, where most of my family lives. I also love the arts, and enjoy painting, attending cultural events, and supporting other artists.
Bring swift, thorough investigations to your workplace or school from a seasoned attorney who delivers clarity with care.