Brattain has her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Willamette University College of Law. She joined OSBA in 2001 after 20 years in the human resource management and employee benefits fields. She represents school districts, ESDs and community colleges in many legal arenas: during defamation, slander, discrimination and wrongful discharge litigation; at administrative hearings, Wage and Hour disputes, EEOC mediation sessions, investigations and hearings; at Unfair Labor Practice hearings before the State Employment Relations Board; during contract negotiations and grievance arbitrations. She also assists boards at hearings on matters such as employee terminations, investigations and charter school applications. Brattain has taught workshops on Sexual Harassment, Wage and Hour Law, Diversity, Discrimination, Title IX, Contract Administration, Arbitration, and the Grievance Process and current legal issues.

She assists districts in rewriting policies and researches state and federal statutory requirements that impact school districts, ESDs and community colleges. She also consults with the Department of Education on policy matters including special education and tobacco-free schools.