Profile
Jonathan Tonge is the lead associate in Andersen, Tate, and Carr’s anti-human trafficking division. He represents survivors of sex trafficking in civil lawsuits against businesses that profited from their victimization. Alongside Pat McDonough, Jonathan made history by filing the first civil sex trafficking cases in Georgia. His unwavering commitment to serving survivors, holding businesses accountable, and raising awareness makes him a valuable mentor and community leader. As an adjunct professor, he will teach the first course on human trafficking litigation at the University of Georgia’s School of Law in the fall of 2024.
Jonathan graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2016, clerked for the Honorable Timothy C. Batten, Sr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Prior to that, he gained diverse litigation experience with Atlanta-area law firms in practice areas including personal injury, business litigation, and appellate matters.
During law school, Jonathan was part of the inaugural class of the Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic (CEASE), representing survivors of childhood sexual abuse. He remains involved with CEASE as a frequent guest speaker and panelist and is passionate about mentoring law students at various universities.
In addition to representing survivors in civil lawsuits, Jonathan Tonge continues to champion this cause in a variety of ways. This includes drafting state-wide legislation that protects and benefits survivors of sex trafficking as they work toward healing and recovery. He serves on the Diocese of Atlanta Commission on Human Trafficking, developing and presenting awareness and prevention trainings to community groups and churches across 75 countries in North Georgia. He is also an active member of the Gwinnett County Rotary Club.
Jonathan and his wife, Jessica, grew up in Waycross, Georgia and now live in Peachtree Corners with their son, Sam.
Education & Involvement
- Order of the Coif, American honor society for law school graduates
- State Bar of Georgia Real Property Section Award
- Georgia Municipal Ass’n Award for Excellence in the Study of Municipal Corporation Law
- ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law and the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., Award for Excellence in the Study of Labor and Employment Law
- Donald P. Gilmore, Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence in the Study of Labor & Emp’t Law
- Executive Editor, Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law
- UGA Law Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic (CEASE)
- Deputy Director, Working in the Public Interest Conference (2015)
- Co-Chair, Red Clay Conference (2015)
- Lecturer, University of Georgia School of Law (Fall 2024)
Seminars & Publications
- 2020-Present – Speaker and Panelist, UGA Law Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic
- 10/12/2022 – Author/Spear, “Handling Sex Trafficking Cases’, Gwinnett Pro Bono Project, Gwinnett County Legal Aid
- 2023 – Guest Lecturer, University of Alabama School of Law
- 2/29/2024 – Speaker, The “Unholy Tour” of Atlanta
- 3/14/2024 – Panelist, Mercer Law’s “Human Trafficking and The Law”
- 10/08/2022 – Throw-Away Kids, For People with Bishop Rob Wright, Podcast Interview https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/throw-away-kids-with-lawyer-jonathan-tonge/id1504750205?i=1000581900571
- A Truck Stop Instead of Saint Peter’s: The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act is not Perfect, But It Solves Some of the Problems of Sosa and Kiobel, 43 Ga. J. Int’l & Comp. L. 451 (2015)
Admissions
- Georgia
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
- Supreme Court of Georgia
- Georgia Court of Appeals