Access to justice for all qualified claimants.

Thurgood isn’t a law firm, and for good reason. We’re don’t cherry pick clients. We’re on a mission to help each and every employee with a valid claim seek the justice they deserve, and we’ve designed our operations to handle the load.

We believe an employee who faced harassment on day 1 shouldn’t be penalized for having a short stay with the employer. Or for taking several months to come to terms with it before seeking representation, as long as it’s within the statute of limitations.

While employment law firms will always have a role for those with access to their services, Thurgood has built its infrastructure to handle claims at scale to ensure access to justice for anyone with a qualified employment claim under the jurisdiction of the EEOC, OSHA, and other federal and state agencies that endorse the use of non-attorney representation in administrative hearings.

How can Thurgood represent clients without being a law firm?

The civil rights laws that established the EEOC, OSHA, and the Wage & Hour Division of the Department of Labor were designed to provide an alternative to the traditional court system. As such, all three agencies explicitly allow claimants the representative of their choice, whether or not that person is an attorney.

Before filing charges, Thurgood contacts the client’s employer to offer a chance to settle privately. As with any negotiation between two private parties, such discussions are not subject to any legal jurisdiction.

What about state-level proceedings?

All whistleblower claims involving a private employer must be filed with OSHA on the federal level, and all state Departments of Labor allow non-attorneys to assist wage & hour claimants.

For discrimination claims, while most states follow the federal framework, some state agencies like the California Civil Rights Department have strict rules for non-attorney involvement, while others like Florida Commission on Human Relations ban it outright. As such, Thurgood files discrimination charges with the state when allowed, and with the EEOC when not. Click here for a full list of state rules regarding non-attorney representation.

Law firms can’t share fees with non-law firms. How do you handle this?

Upon securing a negotiated agreement, the referring law firm will be offered a chance to review the documents. The extra set of eyes provide a value-added service for the client — a service for which the referring law firm is compensated, comparable to a fair percentage of the contingency fee. So, in effect, referring firms do not receive a “referral fee” but, instead, a service fee that meets the ethical standards of the American Bar Association.

How can we send you clients?

Referral partners can send pre-vetted prospects to our referral portal. For unvetted prospects, we’ll generate a unique URL for your referrals to access our online intake, so we can trace those clients back to you.

Get in Touch

Onboarding takes just minutes, and service fees are paid to partner firms within 14 days of receiving the client’s contingency fee. Schedule a call to learn more.