The AFGE Legal Rights Attorney Program in the General Counsel’s Office (GCO) offers free attorney representation in cases brought by AFGE councils and locals on behalf of AFGE members. From overtime cases to adverse actions, our attorneys are experienced litigators who are committed to providing the best possible representation.
What we offer
Free legal representation!
When you have a concern or complaint that needs to be addressed, usually by filing a grievance, the concern might be resolved at the local level. But if it’s not, your local can decide whether to take the case to neutral third-party arbitration, the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB), or other review boards. If it does, it can request our help.
We offer free legal representation in these cases:
We take cases where both backpay and attorney’s fees are available and are not barred by statute, contract, case law, or regulation. For example, we cannot take a case that involves a probationary employee’s removal as probationary employees are not covered by the union contract and they have very limited statutory rights.
Cases that involve solely unlawful discrimination issues such as age, race, sex, religion, disability, national origin and retaliation should be referred to AFGE’s Departments of Women and Fair Practices to be reviewed by EEO attorneys. GCO, however, accepts mixed cases involving a discrimination claim together with other disciplinary issues if brought directly to arbitration or the MSPB, not the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Why choose us
Our Legal Rights Attorney Program is one of AFGE’s most successful programs serving our members. Every day we save locals thousands of dollars that would be spent on outside lawyers. We’ve brought in more than half a billion dollars of backpay for our members.
The program has generated over $6.5 million in attorney’s fees in the last five years alone. Those fees help fund future cases and reimburse locals for a portion of their arbitration costs. Our track record speaks for itself.
How to request assistance
Contact your local today to get the process started. Your local will in turn contact us for assistance.
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