Of most areas in the law, this is the specialty that garners great popular interest, no doubt because it often deals with compelling matters that can effect every working person. It's only because of a civil rights attorney, for instance, that discrimination problems are effectively addressed in the workplace and educational institutions. Such problems have been aggravated for certain minorities - e.g., Muslims or brown-skinned persons - in today’s America.

The law bans discrimination in employment and certain other areas based on specific grounds. Thus, federal Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination on grounds of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Other federal statutes concerning discrimination include The Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibits gender-based wage discrimination; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, which bars age-based discrimination; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibit discrimination based on physical disabilities. These statutes are enforced by the EEOC, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of the United States Government, in the first instance. A complaint with the EEOC is usually the first step in seeking judicial redress for employment and other discrimination.

State and City laws could be stronger, and provide much better protection against discrimination with less more friendly procedures. New York State Human Rights Law, and New York City Human Rights Law are ready examples.

In questions concerning discrimination or retaliation, a civil rights lawyer can help untangle the relevant issues that make the difference between a strong case against your employer, versus a weak one that judges will throw out without a second thought. Call us for a free consultation.