Employment Attorneys in Ann Arbor, MI

University staff, researchers, healthcare workers, and tech employees in Ann Arbor sometimes face discrimination, retaliation, or unpaid wages. An employment attorney licensed in Michigan will review your Ann Arbor situation for free.

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How we match your Ann Arbor employment case

When you submit a Ann Arbor employment matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A employment matter needs someone who handles employment work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Michigan law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Michigan who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

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DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Employment cases in Ann Arbor

More about legal help in Ann Arbor →

Ann Arbor's job market leans heavily on the University of Michigan and its health system, plus research, software, and automotive engineering employers along Plymouth Road and the State Street corridor, alongside restaurants and retail downtown. That mix produces discrimination, wrongful termination, and unpaid overtime disputes across very different pay scales. Many claims start with an administrative charge before a state civil rights agency or the EEOC, and lawsuits that follow are often filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court or federal court. Public employers add their own procedural wrinkles. DearLegal matches you with a Michigan-licensed attorney who handles employment cases in Ann Arbor, with a free review.

Michigan discrimination and harassment claims usually require a charge with a state civil rights agency or the EEOC before suit.
Employment lawsuits by Ann Arbor workers are commonly filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court or the federal Eastern District of Michigan.
University, hospital, and public-sector jobs often involve union grievance procedures or public-employer rules that run alongside a legal claim.

Michigan employment rules at a glance

Ann Arbor cases run under Michigan law. The full walkthrough — timeline, when to call, case types, and what a recovery can include — is on the Michigan page.

Read the full Michigan employment guide →

State Anti-Discrimination Statute: Elliott-Larsen
Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), MCL § 37.2101 et seq. — religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex (incl. pregnancy), height, weight, familial status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity (codified 2023). Disability handled separately by the PWDCRA, MCL § 37.1101. Covers employers with 1+ employees.
Deadline to File Charge: 3 years
No administrative exhaustion for ELCRA — file directly in circuit court within 3 years (MCL § 37.2801). Federal Title VII / ADA / ADEA still require an EEOC charge within 300 days. Whistleblowers' Protection Act suits: 90 days (MCL § 15.363).
At-Will Doctrine: At-will
At-will, but heavily qualified: public-policy discharge tort (Suchodolski v. Michigan Consolidated Gas Co., 1982), implied just-cause contracts from handbooks and assurances (Toussaint v. Blue Cross Blue Shield, 1980), Whistleblowers' Protection Act (MCL § 15.361), and workers' comp retaliation (MCL § 418.301).
Non-Compete Enforceability: MCL § 445.774a
MCL § 445.774a — enforceable if reasonable in duration, geography, and scope and tied to a legitimate competitive business interest; Michigan courts blue-pencil overbroad terms rather than void them. The FTC's attempted nationwide ban was set aside in federal court in 2024, so the Michigan statute still controls.
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $12.48
Rewritten after the Michigan Supreme Court's 2024 Mothering Justice decision reinstated the voter-initiated wage law: $12.48/hour as of February 2025, stepping up annually toward $15. Overtime at 1.5x after 40 hours (Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act, MCL § 408.934a). The Earned Sick Time Act replaced the old Paid Medical Leave Act in February 2025. Unpaid wages and fringe benefits: MCL § 408.471 et seq.
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

Exhibit D

How much do Ann Arbor employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Michigan · Employment

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Michigan employment attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Most Michigan employment lawyers take strong cases on contingency — typically 33% to 40% of the recovery — or on hybrid arrangements mixing a reduced hourly rate with a smaller percentage. Because ELCRA, the WPA, and Michigan's wage statutes all shift attorney fees to a losing employer, a well-built Michigan case can be worth a lawyer's time even when the lost wages are modest. The consultation is where you find out which of Michigan's several clocks are running on you — don't wait 90 days to have it.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Start my free case reviewTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit F

Ann Arbor employment questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Michigan attorney will review it for free.

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For most discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims, yes, you begin with a charge before a state civil rights agency or the EEOC. Wage and contract claims often go straight to court. An attorney will tell you which track your facts fall on before you lose options.

Michigan is an at-will state, so an employer generally does not need a good reason. It still cannot fire you for a reason the law forbids, such as your race, sex, age, disability, religion, or for reporting illegal conduct. The question is usually what the real motive was, which is proved with documents and timing.

Deadlines for employment matters in Michigan vary, and agency charge windows are typically much shorter than court deadlines. Missing the first one can bar the later lawsuit. Speak with a Michigan attorney quickly so the correct deadline for your specific claim is confirmed.

For the state-law claim, yes — and you can file directly in circuit court without ever touching an agency, which is rare. But don't let the long ELCRA clock lull you. Federal Title VII, ADA, and ADEA claims die if no EEOC charge is filed within 300 days, Whistleblowers' Protection Act claims die at 90 days, and many Michigan employers shorten everything by contract (see below). The three-year clock is real; it just doesn't cover the whole case.

In Michigan, often yes. Courts here have enforced clauses — frequently buried in employment applications — cutting the limitations period to as little as 180 days, even for discrimination claims. Whether yours is enforceable depends on the language, how it was presented, and which claims it reaches. If you signed anything at hire, get it in front of a lawyer before assuming you have years to act.