Michelle J. Douglass, Esq. who serves as Of Counsel at Burnham Douglass, has a long history of helping employers, employees, attorneys, doctors, politicians, and others who have employment and civil rights issues. She is also a Certified Civil Trial Attorney, a title given to only two percent of attorneys in the state. Ms. Douglass is an integral team member at the firm, who has always strived to balance her career and her personal life and raise her voice for women’s rights.
March is Women’s History Month and an opportunity for the nation to remember the accomplishments of strong women despite ongoing discrimination in and out of the workplace. These problems have guided Ms. Douglass.
As a young attorney, Ms. Douglass was intent on building a strong career, helping others through unjust situations. In those years, she did not prioritize building a family. However later in her path, Ms. Douglass became a mother at 49 years old. Being a parent is the best experience of her life. These experiences have helped her become a well-rounded attorney today.
Building a law firm and career has been hard work but it has been rewarding. As a parent herself, Ms. Douglass has come across few female attorneys who practice plaintiff-side civil rights and employment law in the state. It takes years of discipline, experience, and work to progress as an attorney, which can be difficult when family commitments are involved.
Acknowledging that finding clients is a difficult process, Ms. Douglass figured out a way to attract clientele while building a solid reputation. She started out with speaking engagements on employment law to develop her skills as an attorney. This work inspired other attorneys to refer clients to her for employment and civil rights cases.
Ms. Douglass has been recognized by various organizations, including being selected to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and to the Super Lawyers list. She is a proud member of the Million Dollar Advocates Club, which is invitation only, and has been featured in a New York Times article on employment law.
In addition, Ms. Douglass has served as pro bono council for the National Association for the Advance of Colored People (NAACP)-Mainland/Pleasantville Branch and as the public policy Chairperson for the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in Atlantic County, New Jersey. She is also the founder and former director of TechTrek/NJ, which is a girl’s STEM camp at Stockton University.
In her personal life, Ms. Douglass has also attended numerous marches to show support for women’s issues. Her first march was with her mother in Washington, D.C. at the NOW organization’s march for the Right to Choose. In Jan. 2017, she attended the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. along with her daughter. This special moment was featured on The Press of Atlantic City’s front page. In 2021, she marched with her husband and daughter in protest of a recent abortion law in Texas (Texas Heartbeat Act). Ms. Douglass stresses the importance of marches and how they advance the rights of those who continue to be marginalized.
Burnham Douglass is a full-service law firm with attorneys who have over 70 years of combined experience. Call 856-751-5505 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. With offices in Marlton and Northfield, New Jersey, the firm serves clients throughout the state.