Community Highlights: Meet Samson Spiegelman of Spiegelman Law PC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samson Spiegelman.

Hi Samson, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I studied Queer Theory and Gender & Sexuality Studies in undergrad, and was very active in queer organizing in the South at the time. I went to law school at UCLA to further my advocacy for the queer community, because UCLA houses the Williams Institute, an incredible LGBTQ+ research institution and think tank. Through various internships at some of the organizations I admired the most (Transgender Law Center, ACLU SoCal, UCLA AIDS & HIV Policy Project), I became specifically very interested in employment law. There is a rich history and contemporary reality of how queer and gender-diverse people engage in the work force and with organized labor in this country.

After law school, I worked at a defense-side firm doing advice and counsel (helping large companies comply with state and federal employment laws and best practices), then switched sides to a plaintiff firm in Beverly Hills representing employees. After a few years, I knew I wanted to go out on my own so that I could return my focus to specifically helping workers with claims based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In the past few years running my own firm, I’ve been so grateful to live my values by earning a living in a way that puts money back in the pockets of the queer community, and fights to defend the rights of those most marginalized in the work force.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are always obstacles in starting your own business, and in building skills as a licensed practitioner. I’ve been lucky to have a supportive community of attorneys and community organizers who are members or allies of the queer community, who referred clients to my firm and gave me opportunities to practice pro bono or educate other lawyers on the issues facing queer employees.

As a solo attorney, it took some time to build my confidence. Now I have a great network of practitioners who I can work with on case strategy and business management decisions. It’s always easier in a team!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Spiegelman Law PC?
Spiegelman Law PC is a law firm representing California employees whose rights were violated by their employers. We focus on queer and transgender employees, from a feminist, anti-racist, anti-capitalist, abolitionist, and trauma informed lens. As a transgender attorney myself, I connect deeply with the struggles my clients face, and am fully committed to making sure their voices are heard.

Whether you were harassed, discriminated against, retaliated against, denied reasonable accommodations for a disability, or otherwise mistreated at work, we will advocate for you.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a very outgoing kid and a voracious reader and writer. I was always vying to be club president of whatever I could – academic decathlon, improv club, student government, you name it. I was a big tomboy (surprise) and an aspiring theater kid.

Pricing:

• Contingency representation – we don’t get paid until successful case resolution

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.spiegelmanlawfirm.com
• Instagram: @spiegelmanlawfirm

Image Credits
Crystal Lilly Creative