Practice Overview

Joseph L. Sulman is an employment law and civil rights specialist, representing clients in Greater Boston and throughout Massachusetts. He regularly takes cases to trial, both in federal and state court, and at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. He argues appeals before First Circuit Court of Appeals, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Mr. Sulman’s cases and his legal expertise have been featured in news stories on CNN, Fox News, ABC, Good Morning America, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and other news outlets.

Mr. Sulman’s practice focuses on representing individuals whose rights have been violated. He pursues claims of employment discrimination, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, school bullying, whistle-blower actions, and independent contractor misclassification. A strong advocate for public safety workers, Mr. Sulman proudly represents police officers and firefighters in appeals before the Civil Service Commission, in addition to the employment discrimination and civil rights work that Mr. Sulman provides on behalf of such workers. Mr. Sulman also provides counseling to employers on personnel-related policies and practices.

Mr. Sulman regularly advocates for his clients in precedent setting cases and does not shy away from taking cases that seek to break new legal ground. Some of his recently reported decisions are: Fraelick v. PerkettPR, 83 Mass. App. Ct. 698 (2013); Pugsley v. Police Dept. of Boston, 472 Mass. 367 (2015); Angiuoni v. Town of Billerica, 999 F. Supp. 2d 318 (D. Mass. 2014); Kosilek v. Spencer, 740 F.3d 733 (2014); Chery v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 98 F. Supp. 3d 179 (D. Mass. 2015). Two of his recent victories at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination are available for reading on the Representative Cases page.

Mr. Sulman attended Georgetown University Law Center, where he graduated cum laude, and he was formerly associated with Dechert LLP and Lichten & Liss-Riordan, P.C. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Sulman worked as a journalist for the MetroWest Daily News in Framingham, Massachusetts, where he covered the police beat and politics.

Education

  • J.D. Cum Laude, Georgetown University Law Center, 2005
    Cum Laude (Top 33%)
    Articles Editor, Georgetown International Environmental Law Review
  • B.A., Oberlin College, 2000
    Graduated with Honors in English

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

  • Massachusetts, 2005
  • District of Massachusetts, 2006
  • First Circuit Court of Appeals, 2006

Professional Memberships

  • Professional & Bar Association Memberships
  • Massachusetts Bar Association
    Member Since: 2005
  • Boston Bar Association
    Member Since: 2005
  • Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys
    Member Since: 2011
  • National Employment Lawyers Association
    Member Since: 2011

Pro Bono Activities

  • American Constitution Society, Boston Lawyers’ Chapter
    Programming Chairperson and active board member

 

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