5 of the Best Federal Disability Lawyers in America [2024]

Attorney Justin Schnitzer is a well-known and highly respected federal employment attorney within the legal community, and he is well-regarded by OPM staff and decision-makers.

With over ten years of experience, Justin has successfully represented federal employees in various employment law matters, including discrimination, reasonable accommodation, disability discrimination, and wrongful termination, before the EEOC and MSPB courts.

Additionally, he has assisted clients in navigating complex federal employment policies and procedures related to filing for disability benefits for employees with medical conditions that prevent them from doing their jobs.

What sets Justin apart is his personalized approach to every client. All clients are given their OPM case managers’ direct phone number for easy accessibility. Justin understands that this can be a frightening time in your life, and having a readily accessible point of contact can be a game-changer.

Justin takes the time to understand his clients and how their current predicament affects their lives and livelihoods. He then develops the best course of action to correct the wrong. When it comes to disability, it is important to know if the OPM route will likely succeed before filing.

When you have an OPM disability claim and are up against the federal government with an endless supply of lawyers on their side, you need a law firm willing to fight for you.

Regardless of the situation, Mr. Schnitzer and his team are dedicated to helping federal employees who rightfully deserve OPM disability retirement from the federal government. He helps them fight back and get the justice they deserve. Whether it is helping you negotiate for back pay, keep your present job with reasonable accommodations, or litigating your case before a federal court, Mr. Schnitzer is the attorney you want in your corner.

Brad Harris and Bo Harris founded the Harris Law Firm in 2005. They are leaders in helping clients obtain OPM disability benefits, having successfully assisted over 8,000 clients across all 50 states. The firm specializes in OPM benefits and does not cover all areas of federal employment law.

The firm started when a family friend approached Bo and his father, Brad, looking for assistance after becoming injured while working as a postal worker for the federal government. Brad Harris was primarily focused on personal injury cases at the time and did not handle federal disability cases. However, driven by a desire to help federal employees, he founded The Harris Law Firm.

As one of the nation’s leading federal employee benefits firms, they are focused on helping federal employees get the desperately needed benefits.

Aaron Wersing started his firm in 2019 after gaining valuable experience in federal employment law from some of the country’s leading attorneys in the field. He graduated from Georgia State University College of Law with a Doctorate in Jurisprudence and was the recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award. During law school, Mr. Wersing volunteered at the Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, assisting underprivileged individuals and families with overwhelming tax burdens.

The Federal Employment Law Firm of Aaron D. Wersing PLLC helps clients with all aspects of federal employment law. Whether it’s helping federal employees win their jobs back, securing reasonable accommodations for a disability, or assisting with an MSPB appeal, Aaron is here to help.

When a medical condition arises requiring a federal employee to file for disability retirement and OPM benefits, Aaron walks them through the process, handling and filing all necessary paperwork. His firm has helped hundreds of federal employees work in environments free from harassment, bullying, and undue hardship.

Eric Pines started Pines Federal in 2012 and is a pioneer in the field of federal employment law. He is known as the attorneys’ attorney, with many federal employment attorneys, unions, and high-level government officials turning to him for advice and counsel.

Eric began his federal employment law career as in-house counsel for AFGE Local 1923, which is in the Social Security Administration’s headquarters and is the largest federal union local in the world.

Eric and his team help federal employees in all areas of federal employment law. He is an expert in dealing with the federal government and understands what does and does not fly when a federal employee is seeking a remedy with an employment matter.

His firm handles OPM disability claims and has processed hundreds of these claims since its founding. While not devoted exclusively to OPM retirement, the firm has a strong background and understanding of the OPM process.

The Bell Law Group is an employment law firm founded by Jon Bell.

Jon Bell began his career at one of the largest litigation law firms in New York. Despite gaining vast experience in multi-million dollar claims, Mr. Bell was dissatisfied with not having discretion when it came to selecting his own clients. He sometimes faced personal conflicts in handling cases where he believed he was on the “wrong side.” As a result, he started his own law firm, allowing him to choose his clients and represent them with passion and drive.

Jon Bell became interested in federal employee litigation after discovering the need for federal employees to have a strong legal team. Jon Bell has a passion for representing the underdog, and most of the cases he accepts involve employees fighting for fair treatment, often taking on entire federal agencies. Mr. Bell thrives in this environment and empowers his clients to stand up and fight back.

In addition to federal litigation, The Bell Law Group represents employees seeking to apply for FERS Disability Benefits with the federal government.