Walker Lawrence

We tell our children that they can grow up to be anything they want; that in this country they are not limited by race, sex, religion, etc. All they have to do is work hard and play by the rules. Yet in the aftermath of September 11th and the Patriot Act, in the age of Enron and World Comm, and at a time when employees are being required to sign excessive non-compete agreements which leave them unable to work when do lose their jobs, do we give real meaning to civil rights?

The answer is that under the law, we still have civil rights and liberties. But without enforcement, they are mere words on a page. The problem is that enforcing your rights in the legal system is expensive. In some mega-law firms legal fees can reach as high as $700 an hour. How is the individual or even the small business to survive in that climate?

At Maduff & Maduff, we seek ways to provide high quality work with as little financial stress as possible on our clients. We do this in a number of ways. Most civil rights and employment cases are fee shifting. This means that a court can order a defendant to pay the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees in addition to any other award. Although contingency fee arrangements tend to be a practice of personal injury (auto accident) law, we have found ways to modify that arrangement and apply it to employment law and civil rights practice. For some things we are able to use flat fees. And where we do work by the hour, our goal is to put the least expensive attorney who is capable and available on a project.

High quality work doesn’t just mean working hard. It means working smart. It means giving you every opportunity to settle your case well or win it. It means negotiating contracts with your needs in mind. And it means listening to the client, providing sound legal advice, and then vigorously pursuing the client’s goals.

We are civil rights and employment lawyers. But we are also the lawyers our clients come to trust. Often a client comes back to us with a problem that requires a different kind of lawyer. Our job then is to find the right kind of lawyer and one we trust.

Discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination cases can be emotionally draining. Claims for overtime pay, family and medical leave (and retaliation or wrongful termination for seeking medical leave) can also be complex. If you find yourself in any of these situations, needing to negotiate a non-compete agreement or employment contract, or are facing other civil rights violations such as police brutality or other police misconduct, you need a civil rights or employment lawyer.

Maduff & Maduff is a Civil Rights Law Firm; this is what we do. By focusing our efforts in these areas, we are able to stay abreast of changes in the law, the courts, and tactics of our opposition. We are better able to handle all aspects of the case, including the effects of litigation on our clients. Let us help.