Michal Shinnar - Greenbelt, MD
Attorney at Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, PA
Civil Litigation Lawyers in Greenbelt, MD
6404 Ivy Lane Suite 400 Greenbelt, MD 20770
- Free Consultation
Greenbelt Civil Litigation Lawyer
Updated: 10/05/2026
Areas of Practice
- Civil Litigation
- Sexual Assault & Abuse
- Title IX Abuse & Discrimination
- Class Actions
- Labor & Employment
- Employment Contracts
- Employment Discrimination
- LGBTQ+ Employment Discrimination
- Non-Compete Agreements
- Reduction in Force
- Retaliation Claims
- Sexual Harassment
- Wrongful Termination
- Whistleblower/Qui Tam
Attorney Information
Overview
Michal Shinnar was named “among the most influential and respected practitioners in the employment law sector in Maryland” in the Daily Record’s 2023 Employment Law Power List. She takes a client centric approach to all legal matters and represents employees in sex discrimination, disability discrimination, sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, race discrimination, age discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, non-compete agreements, and unpaid wages cases.
Her practice includes all aspects of employment law, including discrimination, disability accommodations, employment contracts, non-competes, severance agreements, and wage and hour disputes. Michal was a member of the litigation team that won the highly publicized $43.8 million settlement in Breen v. FAA, which made history as the highest settlement in an age discrimination case against the federal government. She serves as the Chair of the Disability Law Practice Group for the National Employment Lawyers’ Association (NELA).
Michal joined JGL after over eight years of practicing at plaintiff-side employment law firms and having clerked for an Administrative Judge at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Civil Plaintiff – Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Maryland, The National Trial Lawyers
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2027
- The Best Lawyers in America® – Ones to Watch, 2026
- Bethesda Magazine Top Attorneys, Employment (employee), 2023
- Maryland’s Employment Law Power Players, The Daily Record, 2023
Education
Legal Education
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Fordham University School of Law, New York, New York, 2011
Honors: summa cum laude
Honors: Stein Scholar, Public Interest Law Fellow
Honors: Donald J. Feerick Prize in Labor Law
Honors: Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award Recipient
Honors: Moot Court Team Editor, Mentor Competition
Law Journal: Intellectual Property Law Journal, Associate Editor
Non Legal Education
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Barnard College, Columbia University, 2006
B.A.
Honors: cum laude
Current Employment Position(s)
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Senior Counsel
Classes and Seminars
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“Know Your Rights – and How Trump is Changing Them: A Conversation with Disabled and Disability Law Practitioners,” American University Labor & Employment Law Society, 2026
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“Leveraging Expert Witnesses to Quantify Economic Damages in Employment Law Cases,” National Employment Lawyers Association/New York, 2025
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“Navigating Unique Challenges in Age Discrimination Cases,” National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) Annual Convention, 2025
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“State of the ADAAA,” National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) Annual Convention, 2024
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“25 Years After Faragher-Ellerth,” National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) Annual Convention, 2023
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“Civility from the Podium: Professionalism as a Strategic Tool in an Employment Appeal,” College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers’ Association (MWELA), 2021
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“Motions for Summary Judgment,” Federal Bar Association & Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA), Panel at the United States District Court for the District of Maryland on Motions Practice, 2020
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“Invisible Disabilities,” Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) Annual Conference, 2020
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“Anatomy of an ADA Case,” National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) Annual Convention, 2019
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“Trial Strategies for Disability Cases,” National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) Annual Convention, 2020
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“Pregnancy & Family Responsibilities Discrimination,” Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA) Annual Conference, 2019
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“The Intersections of Disability Discrimination and Sex Harassment: Part I: An Introduction to the Issues,” TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund and National Women’s Law Center Webinars, 2019
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“The Intersections of Disability Discrimination and Sex Harassment: Part II: Guidance for Litigating Attorneys,” TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund and National Women’s Law Center Webinars, 2019
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“Legal Protections for Employees Experiencing Infertility,” DC Women’s Bar Association, 2018
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“Essential Functions Under Title I of the ADA,” Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, 2021
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“Undue Burdens Under Title I of the ADA,” Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, 2019
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“Strategies for Bringing Charges at the EEOC,” Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, Baltimore, 2018
- “Disability Accommodations for Federal Employees,” Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, 2017
Published Works
Articles
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Representing Survivors of Sexual Assault in Maryland, Maryland State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Newsletter, Fall 2016. (Analysis of potential employment causes of action for survivors of sexual assault who experience discrimination in the workplace under Maryland state law and applications of Fourth Circuit decisions)
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MWELA’s Discovery Tool Kit – co-author. Summary and analysis of how courts have interpreted the amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure re discovery
Bar Admissions
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Other Affiliations
- National Employment Lawyers’ Association (“NELA”) Co-Chair of Disability Law Practice Group
- Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (“MWELA”) Board Member, Co-chair of Luncheon Seminar Committee
- Disability Rights Bar Association (“DRBA”) Member
- Women’s Bar Association of D.C. Member
- D.C. Trial Lawyers’ Association Member
- TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund Member
Photo
Contact
6404 Ivy Lane
Suite 400
Greenbelt, MD 20770
Phone Number: 240-297-1782
Fax Number: 301-220-1214
Email: Send a message
Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:30am - 5:30pm, Saturday-Sunday: Closed
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