Dionna Maria Lewis, Esq., Ll.M. Email & Phone Number

Washington, Dc, Us

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Washington, District Of Columbia

Board Member of a five-member board that oversees the Office of Employee Appeals and reviews issued decisions of Administrative Law Judges on appeal.

District Of Columbia

Board Member of a three-member board that worked to enfranchise eligible residents, conduct elections, ensure the integrity of the electoral process, and provide oversight over the District of Columbia’s Board of Elections. Duties included conducting monthly public hearings; certifying nominating petitions and election results; adjudicating matters such as challenges to proposed referenda and initiatives, nominating petitions and voter registration; recommending changes to voter equipment; and conducting voter outreach.

Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Washington, District Of Columbia

Counsel and represent clients as first- and second-chair in trial, administrative hearings, and mediation, before state and federal courts, tribunals, and administrative agencies, including the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (pro hac), U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (pro hac), D.C. Superior Court (pro hac), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit Systems Protection Board, Office of Special Counsel, and the D.C. Office of Human Rights. Single-plaintiff employment litigation experience includes matters arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Equal Pay Act, Whistleblower Protection Act, and state law claims involving discrimination, breach of contract, breach of employment agreement, and wrongful termination. Conduct all pretrial case preparation efforts, including gathering evidence, preparing witnesses, developing litigation strategies, preparing and responding to discovery motions, managing discovery, and preparing all materials and witnesses needed for depositions, hearings, and/or trial.Conduct and defend depositions, pursue and respond to written discovery, draft and respond to pleadings, dispositive motions, summary judgment motions, and appeal briefs. Settle cases through informal negotiations and written demand letters. Review and edit work of junior Associates.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Counseled and represented clients as first- and second-chair in trial, administrative hearings, internal investigations, Office of the Inspector General investigations, and mediation, before state and federal courts and administrative agencies, including D.C. Superior Court (pro hac), U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (pro hac), Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Circuit Court for Montgomery County, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of Special Counsel, Merit Systems Protection Board, and the D.C. Office of Human Rights. Single and multi-plaintiff employment and complex civil litigation experience included matters arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Whistleblower Protection Act, Equal Pay Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Employment Retirement Income Security Act. Represented and counseled clients in state claims involving employment discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, breach of employment agreement, breach of contract, wrongful termination, personal injury, and civil torts. Defense-sided experience includes representing Liberty Mutual Insurance (Auto) as First Chair in a subrogation case in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, where the jury returned a verdict limiting the company’s exposure to $10,000 in the face of a $75,000 Plaintiff demand.Conducted depositions, issued and responded to discovery requests, and drafted dispositive motions and oppositions. Settled cases through informal negotiations and written demand letters. Drafted and negotiated business contracts, non-competition agreements, and severance packages. Reviewed and revised company employment policies and handbooks.

Washington, Dc

Prepared daily court calendars for Felony II docket. Reviewed incoming motions and made recommendations on pleadings filed with the court. Drafted judicial orders and opinions. Conducted legal research and drafted memoranda on complex or novel issues. Advised the judge on case matters and upcoming hearings. Observed court proceedings and bench conferences. Drafted and edited jury instructions. Facilitated communication between the judge, attorneys, and courthouse staff.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Investigated fair lending risks at financial institutions through information requests and onsite interviews with compliance management and bank executives; collaborated with economists on the analysis and interpretation of transactional testing data and disparate impact variables for fair lending examinations. Drafted policy statements and memoranda to advise senior counsel on fair lending risks and violations in connection with Supervision and Enforcement matters; pursued consumer remediation through supervisory processes or enforcement. Counseled senior executives and examiners regarding credit discrimination and regulatory issues arising under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Read, analyzed, and summarized new and evolving case law, regulations, and policies to identify precedent information that impacted the creation and development of the policies, initiatives, and procedures of the Office of Fair Lending. Researched legislative history of, and case law arising under, Regulation B, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Regulation C, and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act to substantiate findings in ongoing bank examinations. Drafted legal memoranda supporting novel and complex legal theories, guidance documents, and reports of Senior Counsel. Drafted the initial Action Memo creating the statutorily-mandated Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI).

Des Moines, Iowa Area

Represented low income clients in bench trials and mediation, in divorce, custody, and adoption cases. Developed case strategies, conducted intake interviews, and interviewed witnesses. Successfully defended a client in both a contempt hearing for violation of a protective order and in an ex-parte custody hearing.

Urbandale, Iowa

Assisted in the preparation of complex litigation cases, including drafting memoranda, complaints, and discovery requests; synthesized legal research for client issues arising under Title VII, the Family Medical Leave Act, Equal Pay Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Des Moines, Iowa Area

Tried over 20 bench trials as lead counsel from the domestic violence, misdemeanors, and traffic dockets. Investigated cases, subpoenaed and prepared witnesses, drafted and argued pre-trial motions, and negotiated plea agreements. Served as lead counsel for a jury trial and second chair in two jury trials. Conducted jury selection. Drafted trial informations and proposed sentencing recommendations to the court.

Des Moines, Iowa Area

Investigated discrimination complaints in employment, public accommodations, housing, and education matters. Screened incoming cases, drafted findings, and resolved complaints under the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965 (IA Code § 216.1). Cross-filed cases with the EEOC for claims arising under Title I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), Sections 501 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

Arlington, Va

Conducted legal and policy research; drafted informational guidance concerning the relationship between transgendered employees and Title II of the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act. Shadowed and assisted trained Counselors during the informal complaint resolution process; drafted memorandum on the OCRL’s Alternative Dispute Resolution program for office-wide distribution.

Master Of Laws (Ll.M.), Litigation And Dispute Resolution

Comparative And International Law

Doctor Of Law (J.D.), Law

Activities and Societies: Arbitration Moot Court Team, Student Bar Association, American Bar Association, National Bar Association, Delta.

Student Of The World

Activities and Societies: Semester At Sea AABOD Young Alumni Council Circumnavigated the World on a ship, traveling to Japan, Hong Kong.

Bachelors, Philosophy, History

Activities and Societies: Honor Council; CLAS Representative-Student Government; Black Voices Gospel Choir; ReMix Acapella Group.