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Employment And Labor Lawyers: Roles, Fees and Hiring Guide

  • Legal Editor

Employment And Labor Lawyers 

The term employment attorney is sometimes used interchangeably with the term employment lawyer. Most people, including lawyers, usually consider labor law a subspecialty of employment law.

Employment Lawyers

Employment lawyers are experts on employees’ legal rights and the employer’s legal obligations. For our purposes, this article focuses on employment lawyers who advise, advocate, and represent employees who have had their legal rights violated by their employer.

Labor Lawyers

Labor lawyers are experts in wage and hour laws, state and federal regulations, and employer compliance requirements. Most labor lawyers represent the legal rights of the employer. There are labor lawyers who also represent the labor rights of employees.

Employment Lawyer Education

Four-Year University Degree – (B.A., B.S.)

Juris Doctorate Degree From Law School

Passing The State Bar Exam

Unlawful Termination Based On Discrimination

Unlawful termination based on an illegal purpose includes discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, or national origin.

On-The-Job Discriminatory Practices

Allowing or promoting a hostile work environment; employer retaliation against an employee for reporting the employer to the authorities like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

On-the-job discrimination can include denying employee promotions, career training, wage increases, or being subjected to abusive and harassing language and behavior by coworkers and management.

What Employment Lawyers Charge For Their Services

This depends on the kind of work they perform and their experience level. Most employment lawyers will not charge for an initial consultation but work on a contingency fee basis on most plaintiff wrongful termination and discrimination cases.

Contingency Fee – Representing The Plaintiff Worker

Plaintiff cases based on wrongful termination, discriminatory practices, retaliatory termination, and sexual harassment are almost always taken on a contingency basis.

The employment lawyer will earn a percentage of the settlement or award. Customarily, the rate is 33% before the trial commences and 40% after that.

These rates can also be negotiated between the lawyer and the client. The lawyer will usually advance all litigation costs and be reimbursed by the client when the matter concludes.

Clients Still Responsible For Advanced Costs

If your lawyer loses the case, the lawyer will receive nothing for their services. However, the client is still technically liable for reimbursing the lawyer for all reasonable costs advanced by the lawyer in the prosecution of the client’s case.  

Questions To Ask Before Retaining An Employment Lawyer?

  1. How long have you been practicing wrongful termination Law?
  2. Does your firm practice in other areas?
  3. My case involves being fired based on racial discrimination; can you estimate how many plaintiff’s cases you have tried in this area of the law?
  4. Can you tell me how your fee structure works?
  5. Can you tell me if you will represent me, or will I be assigned another lawyer? If so, can I meet this lawyer before retaining your firm?
  6. Can you tell me about your professional work history?
  7. Did you begin in the area of plaintiff employment law? 
  8. Do you carry errors and omissions Insurance?

To confer with an employment or labor lawyer about the facts and issues of your case schedule a consultation online. 

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