Employment Litigation Bureau

The Employment Litigation Bureau, located in Tallahassee, defends state agencies in suits brought under any of the various federal and state employment laws. These laws include (to name just a few), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Florida's Civil Rights Act, whistle-blower retaliation, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans With Disabilities Act, and constitutional civil rights challenges such as those brought through 42 U.S.C. sec. 1983.

As with all bureaus of the Office of the Attorney General, this Bureau provides high quality, cost effective, and experienced legal defense to agencies and employees of the State of Florida. The types of suits typically handled include workplace discrimination (race, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, etc.), harassment and hostile work environments, and retaliation relating to any of these statutes. The litigation engaged in by this Bureau regularly involves the interpretation and application of Florida's limited waiver of sovereign immunity statute, Section 768.28, Florida Statutes, Immunity in federal courts under the 11th Amendment, and other challenging legal issues of significance to state and local government, statewide. The attorneys in the Bureau regularly appear in court and are responsible for the full range of a trial practice, from initial pleadings, through jury trial and appeals.

Additionally, attorneys in this Bureau provide legal advice to General Counsels and/or senior agency leaders of other state agencies regarding individual situations that develop, as well as prevention, policies, and discipline. Training is also available, typically for groups of supervisors/managers, regarding the current interpretations of employment statutes, parameters of the laws, and areas where managers need to apply additional caution. For more information concerning this Bureau, please call (850) 414-3300.