If you have been discriminated against because of your race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability, you may want to file a lawsuit.To find a competent civil rights lawyer, you need to gather referrals and meet with a few lawyers.The decision of whether to hire a lawyer is up to you.It is possible to make an informed decision by researching the attorney's experience and paying attention to certain warning signs.
Step 1: Do you have a civil rights dispute?
There are many ways in which your civil rights can be violated.Before searching for an attorney, you should identify your civil rights lawsuit.Some attorneys only specialize in certain areas of civil rights law.There is employment discrimination.This is a form of civil rights lawsuit.Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, disability, genetic information, sex, race, national origin, and color.It prohibits harassment on the basis of protected categories.You have to report discrimination to a government agency before you file a lawsuit.Discrimination in housing.Federal law prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin.Police conduct.The police violate your rights when they use more force than necessary.You can bring a section 1983 claim if that is the case.These cases are handled by many civil rights attorneys.
Step 2: Write down what happened.
You need to pull together all of the evidence that relates to the civil rights violation before you find a lawyer.Writing out your memories of an event is one of the first things you can do.Remember who said what, and what actions people took.You should record what you said or did.You need to sign your statement.The statement will be made more authentic by this.
Step 3: Look for witnesses.
The names and contact information for anyone who witnessed discrimination should be obtained.You want to identify the witnesses as soon as possible in a lawsuit.Write down the names of the people you were in contact with at the leasing office or the employer if you had been discriminated against.If you were the victim of police wrongdoing, you should try to get the names of the officers and bystanders.Someone with you should try to collect this information if you are being restrained.
Step 4: Take care of documents.
You should save any documents related to your civil rights claim.Emails, letters, memos, and police reports can be included in these documents.When you meet for a consultation, an attorney will want to see them.If you have a lot of documents, it might be helpful to create a binder in which you can keep witness statements, communications, and official reports.When you meet with a lawyer, take the binder with you.
Step 5: Find the county in which you were discriminated against.
You can bring a lawsuit in the county where the discrimination took place.It is easier to find a civil rights attorney who is based in the county where the incident happened.If you were attacked by police while visiting relatives in another state, you will need an attorney who works in that state.You can't hire an attorney in your home state.
Step 6: Ask friends or co-workers.
Anyone you know can give you recommendations.Ask people if they have ever had to file a civil rights lawsuit and whether or not they would recommend their attorney.Don't hire the lawyer they recommend if you trust the person who gives you a referral.Different people have different expectations from a lawyer.You still want to know how well you get along with the lawyer.
Step 7: You can follow the news.
The news often includes civil rights lawsuits.Police brutality, employment discrimination, and housing discrimination cases are reported on television or in the newspaper.Pay attention to the names of the lawyers.They are experienced civil rights attorneys.
Step 8: Call your local bar association.
Private associations of lawyers are what each state and many counties have.Referral programs are run by most of the bar associations.The name of one or more civil rights attorneys can be obtained by contacting the referral program.The Internet can be used to find a bar association.There should be a phone number to call or an online submission form that you can fill out.
Step 9: Contact the legal aid organizations.
These organizations give free or legal services to people who are in financial need.You probably will have to work with whatever attorney is assigned to you if you choose to go with a legal aid attorney.It is not likely that you can pick and choose which legal aid attorney to work with.The Legal Services Corporation has a website where you can find legal aid organizations.Click on "Find Legal Aid" and enter your zip code.Links or contact information will be provided to legal aid organizations.
Step 10: Look at websites.
You should begin researching civil rights lawyers once you have a list.Most attorneys have websites.You should visit the website to see how well written it is.A poorly written website may indicate that the lawyer is careless.
Step 11: There is a search for relevant experience.
Representative cases that the lawyer has worked on should also be listed.Visitors should be told about recent employment cases by an employment discrimination attorney.The attorney will give a capsule summary of the case and tell you how much money the client won in a settlement or trial.If you are bringing an employment discrimination claim, don't be impressed by the attorney's success in products liability cases.That is not the same area of law.The attorney has handled a similar case in the past.An attorney who is familiar with the current status of the law is what you want.
Step 12: Read online reviews.
Online reviews about lawyers can be found on many websites.Avvo is one of the popular websites.To see what former clients have to say, you can visit these websites and type in the lawyer's name.There are a few things to remember when reading online reviews.Every lawyer has at least one disgruntled client.The person is not a bad lawyer if you see a negative review.People are more likely to leave a negative review than a positive one.Do you have positive experiences with your dentist, doctor, or business?How many times have you left a review?When upset, many people are motivated to review.Positive reviews may not be relevant.Look for common themes instead of treating each review as definitive.The lawyer may have a problem in that area if many clients mention difficulty in contacting them.
Step 13: You can search for ethics violations.
There is an attorney board in each state.If a lawyer is accused of violating ethics rules, the organization investigates the charge and disciplines the lawyer.The information is made public.You can find the state's agency by searching for "lawyer discipline" on the internet.You can use the Lawyer Search function at the website.If there is a history of discipline listed, type in the attorney's name.You can find a list of disciplined attorneys at the website.
Step 14: You need to narrow your list.
You should narrow your list to three or four lawyers after researching the attorneys.You should meet with a few lawyers.You will take too much time if your list is too long.As you winnow down your list, you should consider experience, location, and reviews.The higher the lawyer's fees, the more experience they have.Contact an experienced lawyer if you want to.If the lawyer's fees are too high, he or she can refer you to another civil rights attorney who charges a reasonable fee.
Step 15: Call some attorneys.
Call the attorneys on your short list to schedule your consultation.Secretaries or paralegals will ask you questions on the phone in order to see if your case is something the office handles.Ask for a consultation.Attorneys can offer free or reduced-fee consultations.Before you confirm your consultation, you should ask about the price.You should ask how you can pay the fee.Unless that doesn't work for you, you should insist on meeting in person.Meeting in person gives you a better idea of how organized the lawyer is and what his or her communication style is like.
Step 16: Prepare for the consultation.
Gathering any documents related to your claim should be the first thing you do after your consultations.Get together hospital reports, police reports and employer letters.Take only copies to the attorney.Unless you agree to hire the lawyer on the spot, take your copies with you after the consultation.
Step 17: Make a list of questions.
You should ask questions that are important to you.You might not have much time.Consultations are usually less than an hour.There is time for you to ask a few questions.You could ask the attorney how many cases he has handled.If you are going to bring an excessive force claim against the police, you want to know how many cases the lawyer has handled.Ask if there are other ways to resolve your civil rights dispute.The lawyer might think that settlement is a better way to go.Ask how the lawyer speaks.Is he or she a regular email sender?Is the lawyer available by phone?Is it possible to stop in and visit?Communication is a source of conflict between clients and attorneys.Ask about the outcome.You can see how the attorney analyzes your case and how knowledgeable he or she is.If you want to learn the answer to a question, look at the lawyer's website.What year did you graduate from law school should be answered on the website.
Step 18: Arrive on time
You should have plenty of time to find parking or deal with public transportation.The lawyer has other things to do around your consultation.If you run late, you should have the office number on your phone.
Step 19: Ask about fees.
How the attorney bills is one question to ask.There are a variety of billing options for civil rights attorneys.Straight hourly billing is when you are charged an agreed amount per hour of work.Civil rights attorneys can represent clients on contingency.If you win or settle your case, the lawyer will only get paid.A third of your settlement or jury award will be taken by the lawyer.You will still be responsible for court costs, such as fees associated with filing the lawsuit and court reporters.If you win a section 1983 claim, you can seek reasonable attorneys' fees.The defendants would pay for your lawyer.
Step 20: Don't hire bad attorneys.
Look over your list of attorneys and strike out the ones you don't like.The lawyer promised you would win, so look for the following red flags.No lawyer can tell you how your case will turn out.A lawyer can offer a professional guess.A lawyer who promises a result should be avoided.The staff of the attorney is rude.A lawyer who tolerates rude staff doesn't care about his clients.The lawyer's office is dirty.The attorney is not careful.It's hard to keep client information confidential when the office is messy.If you see papers covering the lawyer's desk, then you might want to remove him or her from your list.
Step 21: You should ask yourself a few questions.
To find out if a lawyer is right for you, ask yourself the following questions.Do you feel comfortable meeting with the lawyer if you say no to any of these questions?Did the lawyer have enough experience to handle the case?Did you understand the lawyer's explanation?Is the fee reasonable?
Step 22: Don't make a decision.
You don't know which attorney is right for you.Some people prefer a lawyer with good communication skills over someone with a lot of experience.You can make the right choice by trusting your gut.You will need to get additional referrals and schedule more consultations if you don't feel confident with any of the lawyers you met with.
Step 23: Call the lawyer.
Call the lawyer and tell him or her that you want to work with them.Tell the attorney where to send the engagement letter for you to sign, and ask what information they need from you.Until that time, you won't have a formal attorney-client relationship.
Step 24: The engagement letter should be read.
The terms of the representation should be spelled out in an engagement letter from the attorney.When the case is over, this letter should tell you what happens to the client file, whether the attorney agrees to represent you on appeal, and who the lawyer may assign work to.The fee agreement should be read.The agreement may be included in the letter or not.When you will be billed and how the lawyer's fees are being calculated should be spelled out in the agreement.If you don't agree with something in the engagement letter or the fee agreement, call the lawyer and have it fixed before signing.When you agree with everything in the document, you should sign agreements with the lawyer.The fee agreement and engagement letter should be in writing.After signing, keep a copy of your records.