Welcome to the website of MWELA — the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association. MWELA is a 501(c)(4) organization comprised of over 350 lawyers who regularly advise and represent employees in employment and civil rights disputes. MWELA is the local chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association, a national organization of more than 3,000 lawyers dedicated to the advancement of employee rights. MWELA supports the orderly and fair development of the law to the benefit of employees. In keeping with its mission, MWELA regularly holds educational programs, discussions, and networking events for its members and in cooperation with other voluntary bar associations. MWELA regularly files amicus briefs on issues of importance in area courts, conducts moot court sessions for its members, and shares information of value to members, enabling them to keep abreast of pertinent developments in the law. Its annual daylong conference is devoted to the latest issues in the practice of employment law.

As advocates for employee rights and civil rights, we work to protect the rights and privileges of employees in both the private and public sectors of the Washington metropolitan area workforce. We are dedicated to promoting workplace fairness and the right of employees to work in an environment free of discrimination. MWELA provides assistance, support and resources to members throughout the metropolitan area to attain the highest ideals of practice and encourage the sharing of expertise and skills to best serve our clients.

Click here to learn more about MWELA.

Looking for a local attorney who specializes in employment law? 
Use our Find A Lawyer search feature to locate MWELA members by practice area and/or state bar affiliation. MWELA offers this directory as a public service. As an organization, MWELA does not endorse or make any representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the services our members provide.

Potential Phishing Notice
The Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association does not provide its contact list to third parties, with the exception of information publicly available on its “Find a Lawyer” search page. If you receive messages of this nature, they may be phishing scams and we recommend they be deleted immediately. Furthermore, the MWELA Board of Directors and staff will never email, text, or call to request that a member purchase something on behalf of the association. To avoid falling victim to phishing scams, please refer to tips provided by the Federal Trade Commission, including not responding to emails or pop-up messages asking for personal or financial information, or from email addresses you do not recognize.

Sustaining Sponsors

Planet Depos leverages the latest litigation technology to provide comprehensive court reporting services across the U.S. and abroad. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Planet Depos is the only international court reporting firm led by court reporters and industry experts. Committed to best-in-class service with 24/7/365 support, Planet Depos has extensive experience reporting complex matters around the world, including depositions, arbitrations, and trials. At the forefront of innovation, Planet Depos partners with clients to streamline proceedings using industry-leading, proprietary technology and digital solutions such as remote depositions, legal videography, and digital court reporting. Visit planetdepos.com to learn more and schedule your next legal proceeding.

It takes hard work to win compensation for employment-related torts.  Don’t let a failure to consider tax issues at settlement reduce your clients’ awards unnecessarily. A little bit of pre-distribution planning could make a major difference in their net recovery. We make it easy by meeting with clients, helping them consider their payout options, and guiding you and your staff through the entire process. If your client is set to recover a multiple of their ordinary income, it is likely they will benefit from this approach.

MWELA is the local affiliate of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA). NELA and its 68 state and local affiliates have more than 3,000 members. We strongly encourage our members to join NELA. For more information about NELA membership, please contact NELA Membership Director, Tacarra Andrade at [email protected] or (415) 296-7629. MWELA members receive a discount on NELA dues.

MWELA members can access our brief bank, listserve and newsletter archives, board meeting information, and other resources. If you are a lawyer and devote a majority of your employment practice to representing plaintiffs, join us.