James E. Fisher practices in the areas of education law, employment law, and civil litigation. Mr. Fisher is a seasoned and accomplished attorney with both private and public sector experience. Mr. Fisher joins Thatcher Law Firm after a decade of public service with both the District of Columbia and the United States government. Most recently, Mr. Fisher served as General Attorney with the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Mr. Fisher provided analysis and guidance to superintendents, chief state school officers, school district administrators and counsel, college presidents and administrators to ensure legal compliance relating to Title IX, Title VII, Title VI and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and other civil rights statutes that OCR enforces.
Previously, Mr. Fisher served as Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Mr. Fisher represented the municipality and one of its largest agencies, the District Department of Transportation, in various administrative litigation matters, civil litigation matters, and transactional matters. Mr. Fisher represented his clients before various tribunals within the District of Columbia including the Office of Administrative Hearings, the Office of Employee Appeals, the Office of Human Rights, and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Mr. Fisher successfully represented the agency in defending disciplinary actions, reductions in force actions and other employment law matters. Additionally, Mr. Fisher’s efforts led to the drafting and successful negotiation of an unprecedented multimillion dollar air rights agreement between the municipality, the United States government and major international real estate development company.
Mr. Fisher served the District of Columbia Public Schools, a large urban school district, in several key capacities, notably, as Attorney Advisor for the District of Columbia Public Schools. Mr. Fisher represented the school district in special education litigation matters before an administrative tribunal, DC Superior Court and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Mr. Fisher advised and counseled clients on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as well as Title 5 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations which governs the provision of education within the municipality.
While in private practice, Mr. Fisher represented clients in the largest racial discrimination class action settlement that involved African American farmers against the United States Department of Agriculture. Mr. Fisher’s efforts helped lead to recoveries in excess of $1 billion dollars on behalf of the class members and he was able to obtain a $625,000 judgment in an arbitration proceeding for one of the plaintiffs.
Mr. Fisher received his undergraduate degree from Howard University and earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Maryland, Washington, DC and New York.
Mr. Fisher is battle tested and stands ready to assist his clients in solving their legal problems and he will zealously advocate on their behalf.
