Discrimination lawyers in District of Columbia

Firm: Bernabei & Kabat, PLLC

1400 16th ST NW , Washington , District of Columbia 20036

Practice Areas: Employment & Labor, Civil Rights, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment

Lynne Bernabei has been litigating employment discrimination, civil rights, and whistleblower protection cases for over thirty years. She is a founding partner of Bernabei & Kabat, PLLC, where she handles claims of civil rights violations, discrimination, and other employment and contract disputes. Ms. Bernabei has developed extensive trial experience in federal and local courts in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, and before administrative agencies. Ms. Bernabei has argued appeals before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the Fourth Circuit, the Sixth Circuit, the D.C. Circuit, and the Federal Circuit.. Lynne Bernabei received a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard University in 1972. In 1977, she received a J.D. degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Ms. Bernabei clerked for the Honorable William B. Bryant, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, from 1977-1978.. Ms. Bernabei was selected for inclusion in all editions of The Best Lawyers In America, since 2006. From 2002 onward, the Washingtonian magazine named Lynne Bernabei on its list of Best Attorneys in Washington, D.C. In April, 2004 the Legal Times Magazine named Lynne Bernabei one of top 12 Leading Labor & Employment Litigators in Washington, D.C. In November, 2002, Washingtonian magazine named Ms. Bernabei as one of Washington, D.C.’s top 75 lawyers. In November, 1997, Washingtonian magazine named Ms. Bernabei as one of Washington, D.C.’s top 100 most powerful women. Ms. Bernabei has also been featured in an article that appeared in The City Paper in August of 1992, entitled “The Women to See,” and in the July/August, 1988 edition of The American Lawyer, entitled “Lynne Bernabei: In Tune with Whistle-Blowers.” She was also featured in an article that appeared in The Washington Lawyer, entitled “Whistleblowers and the Law,” June 2001. Ms. Bernabei has appeared on “Sixty Minutes,” the “Today” show, Court TV, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, FOX, and MSNBC national news broadcasts, National Public Radio, and many other broadcast media outlets. She has also been quoted regularly by New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, People, Time, National Law Journal, Legal Times, ABA Journal, and numerous other print media outlets for her expertise in employment law and civil rights issues.. Ms. Bernabei serves as a member of the editorial board of the Labor Law Journal and formerly served on the board of the Journal of Employment Discrimination. She is also a faculty member of the American Law Institute-American Bar Association and teaches courses on employment law and civil rights matters for the District of Columbia Bar and as a guest lecturer at law schools. Ms. Bernabei has been selected as a member of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and is also a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association. Ms. Bernabei is on the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) for its National Roster of Neutrals.. Representative Matters:

Firm: Law Office of Matthew T. Famiglietti, PLLC

2101 L Street NW , Washington , District of Columbia 20037

Practice Areas: Employment & Labor, Education, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Social Security, Wrongful Termination, Asylum

My office focuses on Disability Law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Employment Law, Asylum Law, and Special Education Law. All of these areas have one thing in common – helping those who are being discriminated against through no fault of their own. I opened my first law office in 1994 because I believes strongly that one individual can make a difference. Having a disability, and living with that disability every day, gives me a unique insight into issues that affect people with disabilities. I have a deep commitment to providing quality legal services to others with disabilities. Of course, I brings that same commitment to those without disabilities as well.. As a long-standing member of MWELA, I have over 25 years of experience in Employment Discrimination law and have settled or won cases against multiple federal agencies as well as private sector firms. I have worked with clients to have their security clearances restored, keep their jobs, and obtain reasonable accommodations. I have worked with clients to obtain financial remuneration after they had already lost their jobs due to various forms of discrimination.. My own disability allows me to understand the needs of my Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) clients in a way others may not, and I am a passionate advocate for his clients. I have been a member of NOSSCR for many years and regularly participate in their National Day of Advocacy. I am careful to evaluate each case individually, and will give my honest assessment. In today’s political climate Social Security cases are more and more difficult to win, so it is more important than ever to have an experienced attorney on your side.. Special Education holds a special place in my heart. I was the first disabled child to graduate from my own high school before federal and state Special Education laws were enacted, and I attributes this to my mother. I watched my mother literally break down barriers for me, from making sure that a class was moved from the second floor to the first floor so I could attend the class, to fighting for and getting ramps and automatic doors installed, to going toe to toe with both my high school and college administration officials. I literally hear a bell ring every time I win a Social Security Disability case or a Special Education case, and I know my mother is getting her angel wings. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her, and she is the reason I do this type of law. I am the author of the e-book What Every Parent and Lawyer Should Know About Special Education, and a passionate advocate for parents and children with disabilities.. I joined AILA in 2017 with the goal of helping those seeking asylum based on the fear of persecution either now or in the future on the grounds of sexual orientation, government sponsored violence, gang-related violence, and political persecution. I have an active asylum case load working with clients seeking relief from persecution for various grounds.. I have been a CLE instructor and have taught seminars for AARP's Legal Counsel for the Elderly, the Archdiocese Legal Network of DC (Catholic Charities), the DC Bar, and other service organizations. I served as a Guardian ad Litem for abused and neglected children in South Carolina. I was an advocate for the SC Protection & Advocacy System for the Handicapped where I advocated for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities, represented families and children with disabilities in numerous Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings with local school districts in South Carolina, and presented seminars on the rights of disabled children to have a free and appropriate education.. I worked at the University of South Caroline Center for Developmental Disabilities, and the US Department of Labor. I graduated from the College of Charleston and earned my JD at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Firm: Tully Rinckey PLLC

815 Connecticut Ave. , Washington , District of Columbia 20006

Practice Areas: Employment, Discrimination, Government Contracts, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor, Employment & Labor

Neil McPhie is the Virginia Managing Partner for Tully Rinckey PLLC and concentrates his practice in federal sector employment and labor law.. As a former chairman of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Mr. McPhie brings a high level of authority and invaluable experience to Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Arlington office, which he manages. In over 30 years of public service, Mr. McPhie has led two government organizations and managed multi-million dollar budgets, in addition to serving as a litigator, adjudicator, employment and personnel lawyer, and human capital strategic advocate. Now at the firm, he pulls from this experience to effectively represent federal employees and personnel in a wide range of employment and labor issues, including discrimination, sexual harassment, equal pay, adverse action, Title VII claims, and Inspector General (IG) investigations.. Following his appointment to a seven-year term by President George W. Bush, Mr. McPhie became a member of the MSPB on April 23, 2003. Later that year, on Dec. 10, President Bush designated him as the board’s vice chairman, and he subsequently became its acting chairman. The U.S. Senate confirmed McPhie as MSPB chairman on Nov. 21, 2004. He was the seventh chairman of the MSPB since its creation in 1979. His term expired on March 1, 2009, though he was statutorily allowed to continue service as chairman of the MSPB until his successor was sworn in on Nov. 12, 2009. At the MSPB, Mr. McPhie played an integral role in revamping what had been viewed as a lethargic agency. Under his leadership, the independent quasi-judicial agency operated more efficiently. The average time MSPB appellants had to wait for the board to decide on their cases went from 295 days in 2003 to less than 100 days in 2009. Another one of Mr. McPhie’s accomplishments as chairman was the 2004 creation of a permanent MSPB Mediation Appeals Program, which is a nationwide program that provides mediation services to MSPB appellants. Mr. McPhie’s in-depth knowledge of federal merit systems gives him an edge in helping clients receive justice in their federal employment cases with expedience. At the time of his appointment to the MSPB, Mr. McPhie was serving as a senior assistant attorney general with the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia. From 1998 to 2002, he served as the executive director of the Virginia Department of Employment Dispute Resolution. He oversaw the management of the agency and directed the implementation of its statewide grievance, mediation, training and consultation programs. Based on this experience, Mr. McPhie knows first-hand how government employers approach employment disputes, allowing him to more effectively represent federal employees in such cases. From 1982 to 1988, Mr. McPhie served as an assistant attorney general for the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, where he defended state agencies and officials in state and federal courts. After receiving his juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center in 1976 and up to when he joined the Attorney General’s office, Mr. McPhie served as a trial and appellate attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Mr. McPhie graduated magna cum laude from Howard University with a bachelor’s degree in 1973. He has been admitted to bars in Virginia, the District of Columbia and Iowa. His court admissions include the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, several U.S. circuits courts of appeals and district courts in Virginia.

Firm: District Employment Law PLLC

1101 Connecticut Ave. NW , Washington , District of Columbia 20036

Practice Areas: Employment & Labor, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination

I am a founding partner with the Washington, D.C. employment law firm District Employment Law PLLC, and have achieved favorable outcomes for numerous private-sector and federal employee clients in a wide range of employment-related litigation, including individual discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation, and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) cases, as well as in severance negotiations and contractual disputes.. I chose to become an employment law attorney, and chose to represent employees facing discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation, because I know how important your career is to your life and to your family. I have the skills, passion, and practical experience to guide you honestly and carefully through the confusing maze of options available to those seeking to fight for their rights in the workplace. I listen carefully to your needs and your unique situation, and will devise a strategy tailored to those needs.. Prior to starting District Employment Law, I worked as an employment lawyer with Bernabei & Kabat, PLLC for over thirteen years. I also worked in the litigation group at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, where I focused on employment law, helped represent high-profile clients in trial and appellate litigation, and represented clients pro bono in political asylum and landlord-tenant matters.. I graduated magna cum laude from the George Mason University School of Law, and served as a Research Editor for the George Mason Law Review and as a Writing Fellow in the Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis program. As a member of the Moot Court Board, I and two classmates won the Domenick L. Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court Competition. Prior to law school, I taught U.S. History at an Alexandria, Virginia middle school. I graduated magna cum laude from the College of William & Mary with a B.A. in American Studies.

Firm: The Employment Law Group , P.C.

1717 K St NW , Washington , District of Columbia 20006

Practice Areas: Wrongful Termination, Employment, Discrimination, Investment Fraud, Insurance Fraud

Scott Oswald is an accomplished trial lawyer who has brought more than 40 trials to verdict and recovered more than $300 million in judgments and settlements for his clients, in cases ranging from wrongful termination to employer fraud.. Mr. Oswald litigates employment lawsuits nationwide, with a special focus on whistleblower matters - including qui tam law, which can deliver monetary rewards to employees who expose fraud against the government.. Since founding The Employment Law Group® law firm, he has spoken up for workers before federal agencies and on Capitol Hill, and has broken new ground in whistleblower law:. In 2017, after 20 years practicing law, Mr. Oswald was nominated by his colleagues to become a fellow of the prestigious College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in his first year of eligibility.. Super Lawyers has recognized his achievements every year for over a decade, and he has placed on its D.C. "Top 100" list multiple times. Since 2013, Mr. Oswald has been honored in The Best Lawyers in America. He has been recognized as a "Top Lawyer" in D.C. by Washingtonian Magazine and Northern Virginia magazine, and is ranked by Lawdragon as one of the top plaintiff-side employment lawyers in the United States. Since 2021, Mr. Oswald has been ranked by Chambers, a prestigious global legal directory.. Mr. Oswald is the current programming chair for the Federal Bar Association's Qui Tam Section and has served in the past as both section chair and chair of its Professional Ethics Committee. He is also a proud past president of the Metropolitan Employment Lawyers Association and currently heads its Bench-Bar Committee. Mr. Oswald is co-chair of an employment law subcommittee at the American Bar Association and has roles in other professional groups, including the D.C. Bar and the National Employment Lawyers Association.

Firm: Federal Employee Legal Services Center (FELSC)

1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300 , Washington , District of Columbia 20006

Practice Areas: Employment & Labor, Civil Rights, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment

Rosemary Dettling is a senior employment attorney with the Federal Employee Legal Services Center (FELSC). She is devoted to upholding the civil rights of federal workers across the country. Ms. Dettling specializes in EEOC administrative hearings and MSPB appeals. She has over 32 years of federal sector EEO and MSPB experience. She has handled hundreds of federal sector discrimination and harassment cases based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, and disability.. "Top Employment Lawyer, Washingtonian Magazine, August 2025"

Firm: Alan Lescht and Associates Pc

1050 17th St NW Ste 400 , Washington , District of Columbia 20036

Practice Areas: Employment & Labor, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination