While there are many people who can benefit from hiring civil service attorneys, there are a few who shouldn’t bother. Are you among the four types of people who shouldn’t hire these types of lawyers?
In case you’re considering hiring a civil service attorney,
you may want to check this list first. Perhaps you’re one of the four types of people who shouldn’t bother interrupting busy lawyers who have legitimate cases to pursue. On the other hand, you may be among thousands of other people who have a rightful case.
You don’t work for the government, in any way, shape or form.
If you don’t work for the federal, state, or local government, you aren’t a civil servant; therefore, you really have no business hiring a civil service attorney. If you’re unemployed or work for the private sector, you may have legitimate grievances with the government or your employer, but unless your employer is the government, you’ll need to seek out some other kind of lawyer in order to take either entity to court.
You were not hired, due to the fact that you’re not qualified for the position.
Even the government has a right to discriminate against unqualified, poorly groomed, or otherwise bad applicants. If you applied for a position teaching high school geometry even though you failed basic math and lack a teaching certificate, you’re on your own. If you have the credentials but submitted a handwritten resume, don’t bother trying to make a case, either. However, if you think your religious views, ethnic background, age, or gender influenced the decision, you should contact a civil service attorney.
You haven’t been promoted because you don’t deserve to be.
Perhaps you were already turning green whenever you passed the teacher down the hall who was just named “Teacher of the Year.” Now that same teacher has become the new department head, and you simply don’t like it. The fact that she has her master’s degree and you don’t, besides the fact that she’s been there ten more years than you would probably make the fact that you’re black and she’s white, a non-issue in court.
You were fired for a good reason.
If your union won’t go to bat for you, you probably don’t have a shot in court. Were you caught pilfering from a concession stand or sleeping during class? Or did you start a fist-fight with a problem student? Such glaring breaches in deportment cannot be defended. By contrast, if you were simply profiled racially, in order to open the position for another person in the race-of-choice in the location where you work, you may have a leg on which to stand. Even if your union isn’t sure it can help you, a civil service attorney probably can.
If you do work for the government and have been mistreated in some way, a civil service attorney may be able to help. Otherwise, you should probably not try to hire one.
