The Erlich Law Office

Employment claims and workplace agreements

The Erlich Law Office is based in Arlington, Virginia, and serves Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C. metro area. Its main areas are employment litigation and civil rights litigation. The website also lists transactional matters and other forms of civil litigation.

In my opinion, the website gives prospective clients the most usable detail about the firm's employment and civil rights work. It identifies particular statutes, workplace disputes, civil rights claims, and education matters. Those details help explain the types of legal issues the attorneys handle.

Pay, overtime, and leave disputes

The firm represents employees in wage and hour disputes under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Its listed work includes wage theft and overtime claims. The federal law sets rules for minimum wages, overtime pay, and covered employment relationships.

Pay disputes often depend on payroll records, time sheets, work schedules, and employer policies. The worker's actual duties may affect whether an overtime exemption applies. Courts may also examine who controlled the work and how the employer calculated compensation.

The firm handles matters involving the Family and Medical Leave Act. These cases may concern leave requests, eligibility, notice, job restoration, or workplace action connected with protected leave. Relevant records often include medical certifications, leave forms, attendance records, and messages between the employee and employer.

Discrimination, harassment, and termination

The employment practice covers discrimination and harassment claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. These statutes address different protected traits and forms of workplace conduct. The firm also represents people in wrongful termination matters.

A discrimination matter may begin with an internal complaint or a charge filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC can request an employer response, gather documents, interview witnesses, or offer mediation. Filing deadlines and available claims depend on the facts and the governing law.

Termination disputes often require a close review of the employer's stated reason and the events before the discharge. Performance records, disciplinary notices, workplace policies, and emails may become relevant. The legal issue can turn on whether the termination violated a statute, contract, or other recognized protection.

Whistleblower and agreement work

The firm handles whistleblower litigation and whistleblower retaliation claims. These disputes can involve a report of suspected misconduct followed by discharge, demotion, discipline, or another workplace action. The applicable protection depends on the subject of the report and the worker's role.

The website also lists severance negotiations and work involving non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. A severance review may address payment terms, release language, confidentiality duties, return of property, and post-employment obligations. Non-competition and non-solicitation disputes often turn on the agreement's wording, governing law, and the worker's later activity.

Mediation is another listed service. In mediation, a neutral helps the parties discuss settlement terms while the parties keep control over any agreement. Preparation may include a written case summary, supporting records, a damages analysis, and proposed terms.

Civil rights claims involving government action

Police conduct forms a defined part of the firm's civil rights work. The Erlich Law Office brings claims involving police misconduct, excessive force, false arrest, and malicious prosecution. Each claim requires its own legal elements and factual record.

Police cases can involve body camera video, dispatch records, incident reports, witness accounts, photographs, and medical records. A false arrest claim may require analysis of the facts known to officers at the time. Excessive force claims often examine the force used, the circumstances officers faced, and the person's conduct during the encounter.

Malicious prosecution claims concern the use of legal proceedings and the basis for pursuing them. Court filings, charging records, hearing transcripts, and the final disposition may matter. The available claim and remedy depend on the controlling law and the specific public actors involved.

First Amendment claims

The firm's stated civil rights work includes First Amendment freedom of speech claims. Such cases may arise when a government body or official restricts expression or takes action connected with speech. The identity of the speaker and the setting can affect the legal test.

Courts may examine the content of the speech, the type of forum, the government's stated reason, and the form of the restriction. Public employee cases can also require attention to job duties and whether the speech addressed a public concern. Written policies, public statements, meeting records, and online posts may supply relevant evidence.

Rights in education

The firm represents students and teachers in education matters. For students, the website names individualized education programs, commonly called IEPs, along with the Section 504 and Americans with Disabilities Act processes. These matters concern access, accommodations, educational services, and school decisions.

An IEP matter often develops through evaluations, meetings, written plans, progress records, and communication with school staff. Section 504 and ADA matters may focus on disability-related access and accommodations. Parents, students, teachers, administrators, and school personnel may each hold records that clarify what occurred.

Education disputes can involve several decision points within a school system. Meeting notes, accommodation plans, disciplinary records, and requests for services may shape the record. The proper procedure depends on the student's needs, the school action, and the law tied to the claim.

The attorneys identified by the firm

The attorney profiles page names Joshua Erlich and Katherine Herrmann as partners. It identifies Heather Murray as a senior associate. The published team therefore includes attorneys at partner and senior associate levels.

Joshua Erlich

Joshua Erlich focuses on helping people who believe they have received unfair treatment. His stated work includes employment litigation, severance negotiations, and other workplace disputes. Those subjects connect his profile directly with several of the firm's named employment services.

His listed responsibilities cover both contested cases and agreement work. Employment litigation can involve pleadings, document exchange, witness testimony, motions, settlement talks, and court proceedings. Severance negotiations center on proposed contract terms and the legal rights affected by a release.

Katherine Herrmann

Katherine Herrmann helps individuals understand and resolve legal issues. Her profile says that she works across several legal fields and advocates for individual rights. The description places individual representation at the center of her work.

Legal problem solving may require identifying the proper forum, reviewing the available documents, and separating factual disputes from legal issues. Resolution can occur through negotiation, mediation, an agency process, or litigation. The route depends on the claim and the client's objectives.

Heather Murray

Heather Murray is the senior associate named on the firm's attorney profiles page. Her title identifies her position within the attorney team. The website includes her alongside the firm's two partners.

General civil litigation and appeals

The website lists general civil litigation, contract disputes, and appeals in addition to its employment and civil rights matters. These areas can involve private agreements, contested obligations, court rulings, or procedural questions. The firm also handles transactional work connected with its listed services.

A civil case usually starts with an assessment of the parties, facts, claims, deadlines, and possible remedies. Pleadings define the dispute. The parties may then exchange documents, take testimony, present motions, discuss settlement, or prepare for trial.

Contract disputes and mediation

Contract disputes often focus on the words of an agreement and the parties' conduct. Communications, drafts, payment records, performance documents, and amendment history may help explain the dispute. The governing law may affect interpretation and available remedies.

Mediation gives the parties a structured setting for settlement discussions. The neutral may speak with everyone together and hold separate sessions with each side. Any settlement normally requires clear written terms that address payment, releases, deadlines, and remaining duties.

Appellate work

An appeal usually focuses on the existing record and a claimed legal or procedural error. Written briefs explain the issues, the governing authorities, and the requested result. An appellate court may also hear oral argument before issuing its decision.

Appeal deadlines can arrive soon after a court enters an order or judgment. The record may include pleadings, exhibits, transcripts, and prior rulings. The website states that The Erlich Law Office handles appeals and represents clients in both the public and private sectors.