🛡️FACING A WORKPLACE DISPUTE IN NEW JERSEY?

About our Firm

Michelle J. Douglass, Esq. | Founder & Managing Member

Michelle J. Douglass is the founder of Douglass Law Group, LLC, practicing under the trade name My Rights Lawyers. With decades of high-stakes litigation experience, Ms. Douglass is a formidable advocate for employees facing complex statutory violations, workplace retaliation, and severe civil rights infringements.

Michelle was born the eldest of three daughters in a working-class home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She, like most others, has encountered hardships and setbacks but never forgets that mistakes, suffering and pain can be overcome by hard work and courage to move forward with positive determination. In the practice of law, she has dedicated her career to helping people fight for justice, having learned that nothing worthwhile comes without sacrifice, self-discipline and courage.

Michelle has been recognized by various publications and rated highly by a number of lawyer rating services. She has litigated thousands of cases in state, federal and administrative courts. To date, she has obtained several million-dollar jury verdicts for clients. She is also a regular public speaker on behalf of various continuing legal and human resource management organizations, such as the National Business Institute, Association of Trial Lawyers-NJ, the New Jersey Continuing Legal Education Institute, the Human Resources Summit, the Atlantic Cape Community College and the Rutgers University Cooperative Extension program.

Michelle has a long history of commitment to helping others achieve justice and positive civil rights status through the legal system, and socially in community settings. She has served as pro bono counsel for the NAACP-Mainland/Pleasantville Branch; as the public policy Chairperson for the Association of American University Women (AAUW), Atlantic County, NJ branch; she is the founder and former Director of TechTrek/NJ, a girl’s STEM camp hosted at Stockton University; she is the founder and current Director of the Girls Can Club of Atlantic County, NJ, a not-for-profit organization designed to empower girls in the fields of language, technology and public policy; she has served as a member of STARS (Sisters Together Against Racism); and she is an activist for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

A seasoned trial lawyer, Ms. Douglass has successfully tried over 125 jury and non-jury trials in both Federal and State courts. She holds the prestigious designation of Certified Civil Trial Attorney by the New Jersey Supreme Court—an elite distinction achieved by less than 3% of active attorneys in the state. She has consistently been recognized by Thomson Reuters as a Super Lawyer (2006–2024), named to The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, and selected to the Nation's Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

The Digital Edge in Modern Litigation

Beyond her exceptional courtroom acumen, Ms. Douglass possesses an analytical edge unique among trial attorneys, having pursued advanced graduate studies in Computer Science and Computational Data. Rather than relying on rigid, off-the-shelf software, Ms. Douglass personally develops proprietary applications and custom code designed explicitly to manage Electronically Stored Information (ESI), streamline time analytics, and parse massive volumes of complex discovery. This proprietary technical infrastructure allows her boutique practice to process data-heavy dockets with the speed, precision, and leverage of a massive corporate firm.

🖥️ Proprietary E-Discovery Infrastructure

Unlike traditional firms that sub-contract data analysis or use generic platforms, My Rights Lawyers utilizes custom-coded data management tools developed in-house by Ms. Douglass. This allows our team to securely categorize, search, and weaponize massive volumes of digital evidence in real-time during high-stakes statutory litigation.

Select Case Highlights & Major Verdicts⚖️

$1.8 Million Jury Verdict & $850,000 Attorney’s Fee Award – Landmark whistleblower retaliation victory under the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) on behalf of a wrongfully terminated public servant.
$1.5 Million Jury Verdict – Groundbreaking First Amendment retaliation and wrongful denial of promotion litigation in federal court.
$1,700,000 Jury Verdict – Police officer workplace retaliation and hostile work environment claim under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD).
$1,200,000 Jury Verdict – Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) whistleblower claim against a public entity.
$1.25 Million Settlement – Significant recovery for public sector employees facing pervasive gender discrimination within a New Jersey County Prosecutor's Office.
$1 Million Settlement – Successful resolution and landmark recovery for a wrongfully ousted corporate executive.
$10+ Million Career Milestone – Over ten million dollars collectively recovered in historic verdicts and settlements defending the civil rights of New Jersey workers.

Appellate Advocacy & Legal Precedent

Beyond the trial court, our firm features a robust appellate practice dedicated to defending hard-won jury verdicts and advancing civil rights protections before state and federal appellate tribunals.

Verdict Preservation: Successfully defended substantial civil rights and employment discrimination jury verdicts on appeal against aggressive municipal and corporate defense challenges.
Federal & State Capacity: Experienced in handling complex post-trial motions and appellate briefs before the New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Administrative Appeals: Routinely representing public and private employees in complex appeals before the Civil Service Commission and the Office of Administrative Law (OAL).

Disclaimer: Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

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