Shepherd Civil Rights Lawyers

T.J. was born and raised in Central Michigan, where he lives with his wife and three children. He is a proud Michigander, who was raised in a blue collar family and taught from the beginning the importance of hard work and giving back to the community. T.J. is a life member of the VFW, Military Order of Purple Heart and sits on the board of directors of a local non-profit organization. Shortly after graduating high school, T.J. enlisted in the Army where he would serve for nearly 11 years, retiring as a Staff Sergeant. Some of the more notable highlights...

Keeley Blanchard is a top criminal defense attorney in Michigan. She focuses her practice in the areas of defending those wrongfully accused of criminal sexual conduct, child abuse, domestic violence, assault, child pornography, and drug crimes. Her trial experience is significant, she has an excellent reputation for being aggressive, and will out-prepare any of the prosecutors she faces in court.

Elizabeth Abdnour is an attorney and partner at Abdnour Weiker LLP fighting for fair and equitable treatment at school and in the workplace. Liz is an experienced, compassionate, and client-centered attorney and advocate who has committed her career to working towards justice and equality for all people. Liz's legal expertise includes special education, school discipline, Title IX, civil rights, disability, employment, and sexual and domestic violence. ? For the first eight years of her career, Liz worked as a legal services attorney, representing low-income individuals in a variety of civil legal matters. Liz spent two years as the supervising attorney of a...

Over three decades ago, Douglas E. Fierberg expanded his commercial trial practice in Washington D.C. to establish the only national legal practice focused on representing school violence victims and survivors nationwide. The work began on behalf of a high school student who survived brutal sexual assaults in Washington, D.C. by two assailants, and a college student hospitalized after being hazed at Omega Psi Phi Fraternity at the University of Maryland. From there, the practice went to Texas on behalf of 4 college students killed outside a fraternity house whose chapter president ignored a direct warning from the police the night...

Nick Roumel is a trial lawyer with over 30 years experience in state and federal courts. He focuses on plaintiff's employment and civil rights litigation, as well as educational law matters, such as Title IX sex harassment, assault, and retaliation, as well as serious personal injury in the educational setting. He is recognized as a Thompson-Reuters "Super Lawyer" in employment litigation, reserved for the top 5% of attorneys in that field. Mr. Roumel has represented numerous high profile athletes and artists; victims of domestic and sexual violence; and students expelled for exercising constitutional rights. He has been appointed for various matters...

Over 30 years, Joseph Dedvukaj has been a strong advocate on behalf of those who wrongly suffered a personal injury. Today, the firm is known for winning large settlements and verdicts for personal injury accidents. Joseph Dedvukaj continues to provide client’s the manpower and resources to professionally handle any case, no matter how complex. Joseph Dedvukaj’s firm is a top personal injury firm in the United States, winning some of the largest settlements and verdicts. To date, we’ve won hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. Our firm is passionate about fighting for the...

Julie A. Gafkay graduated from Michigan State University in 1992 with a dual major in criminal justice and political theory. She graduated from Whittier Law School in 1995 with honors. Her first position was in Flint, Michigan focusing on civil rights and employment discrimination. In 2003, Attorney Gafkay opened her own statewide practice in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The practice's attorneys provide a general practice to the local area providing legal services in Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Business Planning, contract review, landlord/tenant issues, real estate, employment issues and other general practice areas. Attorney Gafkay has...

James T. Haadsma has practiced with the McCroskey Law since August, 1987. He specializes in representing injured workers in workers’ disability compensation disputes before the Michigan Workers’ Compensation Agency, and in representing injured workers before the Social Security Administration’s Office of Disability Adjudication and Review. Mr. Haadsma also occasionally represents a partially disabled employee in controversies with employers under the Americans with Disabilities Act/Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act. He represents clients from Washtenaw to Berrien Counties, but predominantly in Calhoun County.

Before joining the McCroskey firm in August, 1987, Mr. Haadsma practiced with the Muskegon office of Legal Aid...

I am an attorney located in Kalamazoo Michigan. I practice in employment and labor law for employee clients. I also do general practice, family law, and constitutional law. At the moment, I am generally free to take consultations and new clients. I offer affordable hourly rates and low contigency fee percentages.

Noah S. Hurwitz is a trusted advisor and advocate for clients looking to remain on the right side of the law. Mr. Hurwitz utilizes his experience as a former partner of a national law firm and in-house counsel for America's largest mortgage lender to counsel businesses and employees on a vast array of employment law issues. Mr. Hurwitz regularly advises on employment agreements, restrictive covenants, discrimination, whistleblowing, misappropriation of trade secrets, risk management, wage and hour law, handbook policies, and employee benefits. He is also a seasoned litigator in state and federal courts throughout Michigan and has...

Growing up in Genesee County during the 1980's and 1990's really shaped my desire to work for the middle class and blue color sections of society for it was these sections that I most frequently saw receiving unfair treatment. As far back as a Freshman in high school, I remember being forced to play on substantially inferior softball fields, with uniforms that were riddled with holes, while the male students had new uniforms, pristine fields and the most up to date equipment. This unfair and illegal disparity in treatment between the genders has carried on into my adult...

Jennifer Salvatore is a partner at Salvatore Prescott, PLLC and an AV-rated lawyer, which is the highest Martindale Hubble peer review ranking for ethics and legal ability. She practices in the areas of employment, civil rights, and business litigation and represents a wide range of individuals in difficult employment transitions, including executives and other professionals in employment and contract disputes. Jennifer has a particular interest in sex discrimination cases, and has handled many high profile matters involving sex harassment and other gender issues. She also has a busy practice representing students, including in Title IX litigation and internal...

Tom Howlett vigorously pursues cases for people and families harmed by others' misconduct, undertaking both individual lawsuits and class actions. His primary areas of focus are professional negligence (medical malpractice and legal malpractice), catastrophic injury, civil rights (wrongful convictions), and consumer class actions.

Lawrence J. Buckfire earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Michigan in 1986 and his juris doctor degree from Wayne State University School of Law in 1989. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the State of Ohio. He was recently named a "Best Personal Injury Lawyer" by a Detroit business magaizne. Lawrence is a highly skilled trial attorney with a reputation for meticulous trial preparation and presentation. Mr. Buckfire has achieved the highest possible rating for ability and integrity in the legal profession. He specializes in child lead paint poisoning, wrongful...

Matt Klakulak clerked for Justice Marilyn Kelly of the Michigan Supreme Court his first year out of law school and shortly thereafter joined Robert Harrison & Associates, PLC, where he remained for 10 years. More than half that firm’s practice was criminal defense, and he had the opportunity to work on some very high profile cases as well as practice in the areas of personal injury, employment and appellate law, among others.

Research and writing has always been a point of strength and passion in Matt Klakulak's practice of law. He joined the Fieger Firm in 2011 to focus his efforts...

“I am passionate about the law and fighting for my clients. I have spent the majority of my career as a litigator, meaning handling lawsuits filed in trial courts resulting in substantial settlements or trials where I have a winning record. I care about your rights.” The most important aspect of being a litigator is the ability to successfully try cases. Bob has extensive trial experience on both the defense side and plaintiff side. He worked on the defense side for seven years during which time he tried 35 cases to verdict and won each one of them. Bob then moved...

Ronald W. Chapman is the owner of Chapman Law Group and has been practicing law for over 25 years in Michigan and Florida. He is AV® Rated. Ron is a recognized leader in the legal community and a frequent speaker in the area of medical malpractice and risk management. In 1997 Ron was ranked as one of the top ten speakers for Skillpath, Inc. Ron graduated from California State University, Sacramento (BA, Cum Laude 1979), University of Southern California School of Administration (MPA 1980) and Wayne State Law School (JD 1984). After receiving an Honorable Discharge from the United States Air...

Ross Gilders is a Michigan attorney recognized as a Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyers. Ross handles a wide range of cases including personal injury, social security, worker's compensation, property damage, and employment. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan and Michigan federal courts. His law practice is dedicated to providing justice for individuals who have been injured or wronged. Contact Ross Gilders if you have been injured, if you are seeking social security or worker's compensation benefits, if you have incurred property damage, or if you have been wrongfully terminated or mistreated at work.

By keeping a limited caseload, I can forge a truly personal relationship with each client, thereby strengthening the attorney-client relationship. I firmly believe that the most effective defense or for prosecuting a personal injury case can only be effectuated when there is a strong foundation of trust between attorney and client. I do everything in my power to earn that trust. A limited caseload also allows me to be aggressive, not merely encouraging my client to take the first plea offer or first settlement offer just because it would ease my workload. I have the time and resources to fully investigate...

Nick Coulson is a trial lawyer who dedicates his practice to cases with complex legal and factual issues, including class actions, mass torts, and mass arbitrations. Nick is the rare lawyer (especially amongst those who prosecute class actions) who devotes significant time and effort to actually taking cases to trial. Apart from his more traditional legal qualifications, Nick is particularly proud to be a 2022 graduate of the three week trial skills college at the Gerry Spence Method at Thunderhead Ranch. That program teaches dedicated lawyers for people—not institutions of power—groundbreaking skills for presenting clients’ cases to a jury. Nick...

Focus: Helping people get back to work, stay at work, fighting wage theft and preventing retaliation and wrongful termination. Blowing the whistle on Medicare fraud and other taxpayer fraud. Legal advice; counseling; trial lawyer. David Blanchard’s job is to take the case to court and fight for the civil rights of human people. David Blanchard is a respected trial lawyer with a reputation for fighting injustices regularly heaped upon honest hard-working individuals and small business owners. He is recognized for his aggressive, goal-oriented advocacy and advice. David Blanchard received his B.A. in political science and a J.D. cum laude from...

Co-Counsel on the largest police misconduct verdict in Michigan history and the largest verdict in Michigan this year! On November 3, 2016, a jury in the United States District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a $36,600,000 against Genesee County Deputies for using excessive force against a man arrested for drunken driving. Click the link below for details. This is one of many seven figure verdicts and settlements that I have obtained for my clients in civil rights and personal injury cases. http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/11/06/jury-awards-36m-verdict-genesee-county-police-brutality-case/93287248/ In addition to civil...

Anne Buckleitner puts her more than 30 years in government and law to work for clients in the areas of civil rights, employment law, criminal defense, facilitative mediation and neutral workplace investigations. She litigates in both federal and state courts. Anne is an accomplished litigator and counselor, an experienced problem solver, and a strong advocate. Through negotiation, litigation, and mediation, Anne identifies and obtains the best possible results for her clients. Anne makes good communication with her clients a priority.

Anne was born and raised in St. Joseph, Michigan. She spent the first chapter of her career working for the federal...

Amanda M. Ghannam is a partner at Schulz Ghannam PLLC, where she represents workers in employment disputes, whistleblowers, survivors of sexual abuse, and victims of police misconduct in negotiations and lawsuits in state and federal court. Amanda specializes in advocacy for clients experiencing discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace. She has secured numerous settlements for clients who were wrongfully terminated and has a record of success defending employees accused of breaching non-competition agreements. Amanda approaches her cases with a combination of expertise, compassion, and fierce advocacy to help her clients obtain not just compensation, but accountability and closure.

Highly acclaimed and award-winning Attorney Muneeb M. Ahmad offers 15 years of diverse career experience representing individual clients and businesses in immigration, active litigation and transaction law. He serves as Managing Partner with Detroit, Michigan-based Just Right Law, specializing in numerous disciplines, including immigration, contracts, employment, real estate, business and insurance law representing both plaintiffs and defendants, from the process of intake through trial and resolution. Adding to his comprehensive experience in the field, Ahmad has a long-enduring relationship with Hussain Akbar, his partner at the firm. The pair previously collaborated as associates at a local firm where Ahmad specialized in immigration...

Michael Hanna is a partner at Morgan & Morgan and leads the firm’s Michigan office. He received his undergraduate degree from Wayne State University and attended University of Miami School of Law, where he graduated with honors. As a class action employment attorney, Mr. Hanna has litigated hundreds of federal claims and represented thousands of clients across the nation. His areas of expertise include the prosecution of wage and hour claims for unpaid minimum and overtime wages, as well as discrimination and retaliation claims under various state and federal statutes. Many of the cases in which Mr. Hanna served as lead...