202.486.3478
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT,
CIVIL LITIGATION,
BUSINESS LAW, CIVIL RIGHTS, PERSONAL INJURY, AND FAMILY LAW
A Tradition of Talent
WHERE YOU NEED TO BE
The Right Choice
At District Legal Group, we are a new kind of law firm for a changing world. We are consistent, patient and professional, giving each new case the attention it deserves. An integral part of our services is to work closely with our clients so that they can make the right decisions with respect to their legal needs.
OUR PRACTICES
How We Can Help You
At District Legal Group, we are trial attorneys and litigators, problem solvers and risk mitigators, strong writers and passionate oral advocates. We get it done.
We actively manage a docket of nationwide and local cases, in all areas of labor & employment law, contract litigation, and risk mitigation for individuals and small businesses.
We zealously protect your interests and help you achieve your goals.
Our experienced and innovative lawyers bring a whole universe of experience and knowledge to each case. We understand that the world is constantly changing and you may be confronted by a confusing array of regulations, questions, and occasional disputes. Check out our areas of expertise and call us with your legal questions today.
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
CIVIL LITIGATION
BUSINESS LAW
CONTRACT LITIGATION
WAGE & HOUR LAW
OUR PRACTICES
How We Can Help You
At District Legal Group, we are trial attorneys and litigators, problem solvers and risk-mitigators, strong writers and passionate oral advocates. We get it done.
We actively manage a docket of nationwide and local cases, in all areas of labor & employment law, business law and corporate transactions, contract review and litigation, civil rights law, sexual harassment, workplace investigations, personal injury, family law, will drafting and review, military law, appellate law including unemployment appeals, workers compensation law, and serve as business consultants and advisors for individuals, small to mid-sized businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
We zealously protect your interests and help you achieve your goals.
Our experienced and innovative lawyers bring a whole universe of experience and knowledge to each case. We understand that the world is constantly changing and you may be confronted by a confusing array of regulations, questions, and occasional disputes. Check out our areas of expertise and call us with your legal questions today.
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
CIVIL LITIGATION
BUSINESS LAW
AND
CORPORATE REPRESENTATION
CONTRACT LITIGATION
PERSONAL INJURY
Heading 3
WAGE & HOUR LAW
CIVIL RIGHTS
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
FAMILY LAW
APPELLATE LAW
MEET OUR LEGAL TEAM
DIONNA MARIA LEWIS, Esq.
Founder & Managing Attorney
Have a question or legal issue? Dionna Maria Lewis is your expert, with years of proven experience and success in and out of the courtroom. Get in touch with Dionna now.
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Dionna Maria Lewis, Esq. is the Founder and Managing Attorney of the District Legal Group, PLLC. As a Trial Attorney, she manages a docket of nationwide and local cases, in all areas of labor & employment law, contract litigation, civil litigation, appellate law, civil rights law, and advises and counsels small to mid-sized business on corporate structure, implementation, and risk mitigation. Dionna represents clients in trial, administrative hearings, and mediation, before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Dionna also serves as Of Counsel to the Fay Law Group, a boutique litigation firm based in Washington, DC.
Dionna has extensive experience working with boutique, mid-sized, and large firm clients. Dionna is formerly Senior Counsel at Alan Lescht and Associates, formerly Senior Associate at Tully Rinckey PLLC, and formerly a Senior Associate at the Fay Law Group PLLC where she now serves as Of Counsel. Prior to founding the District Legal Group, Dionna managed an active litigation docket of nationwide and local cases, in all areas of labor & employment law, civil litigation, and civil rights claims. Dionna litigates before state courts, federal courts, and administrative agencies, including D.C. Superior Court, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Circuit Court for Montgomery County, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), DC Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), and D.C. Office of Human Rights (OHR), in matters arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Whistleblower Protection Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Equal Pay Act, and state claims involving employment discrimination, sexual harassment, whistleblower retaliation, breach of employment agreement, breach of contract, wrongful termination, and employment torts.
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Dionna is an award-wining attorney at the local and national levels and is an active member of her local community and the legal profession. As an appointed Commissioner to the DC Board of Elections (DCBOE) by Mayor Bowser, Dionna was charged with the responsibility of overseeing the administration of elections and enfranchisement of all eligible voters in the District of Columbia. Dionna was the youngest person to be appointed and confirmed by the DC Council in the history of the District of Columbia. After Dionna's term on DCBOE expired, she was again confirmed by the DC Council to serve as a Board Member on the DC Office of Employee Appeals (OEA) Board, where she currently serves.
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The DLG Team
Jessica Ochoa, Esq.
Associate Attorney
Jessica Ochoa is an Associate Attorney at the District Legal Group and is based in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Boston University and American University Washington College of Law.
Jessica’s legal experience began as a paralegal at an immigration firm in Boston, Massachusetts. While there, she focused primarily on asylum and refugee cases. Since then, her experience has expanded into domestic violence, tort and contract settlements, family law, and criminal law, specifically white collar crime and narcotics.
Prior to her work with District Legal Group, Jessica was a judicial clerk at Prince George’s County Circuit Court. Jessica was also a part of a federal capital defense team in the Eastern District of Virginia where she primarily worked on legal principles governing federal application of the death penalty.
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Jessica is fluent in Spanish and has been published in the American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy, & the Law for her comment Tweeting with a Purpose: Interpreting “Corrupt Persuasion” in 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b). Jessica’s past experiences and eagerness to learn new areas of the law make her a passionate advocate for her clients and someone who approaches all her cases with empathy and diligence. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.
Dionna Maria Lewis, Esq., is a third generation native Washingtonian, a product of the DC Public School System, and the Founder of the District Legal Group, PLLC. In addition to representing clients as a Trial Attorney and legal advisor, Dionna is an elected official as an At-Large Committeewoman for the DC Democratic State Committee, serves as President of the Washington Bar Association, Vice Chair of the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization (MHCDO), Board Member of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia (BADC), serves as General Counsel of the Ward 7 Democrats, General Counsel of the DC Democratic Black Caucus, and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
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Over the course of her career, Dionna has been named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) for employment law; the “2020 Young Lawyer of the Year” by the Bar Association of the District of Columbia; "Top 40 Under 40" by the National Black Lawyers (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022); “Top 40 Under 40 Trailblazer” by the National Bar Association; “Young Lawyer of the Year” by the Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (WBA YLD); received the “Rhonda F. Williams Professionalism Award” from the National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (NBA YLD); received the President’s Award from the Washington Bar Association; received the Presidential Service Award from the National Bar Association; and was featured in an edition of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s editorial, “The Affiliate: Spotlight on Leadership: Professional Involvement at the National and Local Levels.” In 2020, Dionna was also named the “Mother of the Year of the District of Columbia" by American Mothers, Inc.
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Dionna earned her LL.M. in Litigation from George Washington University Law School, her Juris Doctor from Drake University Law School where she also graduated with a Public Service Certificate, and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy and History from the University of Virginia.
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Dionna Maria Lewis is the epitome of an exceptional role model and influential mother to her young daughter.
Brett Harshbarger, Esq.
Associate Attorney
Brett Harshbarger is an Associate Attorney at the District Legal Group and is based in Washington, D.C.
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Prior to joining the firm, Brett was an Associate Attorney at Herischi & Associates, LLC where she worked on general civil litigation matters including immigration, employment law, family law, and Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) litigation against the Islamic Republic of Iran for human rights violations.
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Brett is an honors graduate of The George Washington University Law School, where she was a Managing Editor of the International Law Review, a Moot Court Board member, an Advanced Dispute Resolution (ADR) Honor Board member, and captain of the 2018-2019 GW Law Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot team. She served as a Student Attorney in GW Law’s International Human Rights Clinic in Fall 2018, providing casework on war crimes in Eastern Ukraine. Brett interned during the summers with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in 2017, where she contributed research to ADC’s amicus brief on President Trump’s travel ban, and with the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) in 2018, where she worked on a white paper for the organization on the topic of internet-facilitated child sex trafficking.
Brett received her B.A. from Harvard University in 2012 in the field of Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality, and received her J.D. with Honors from The George Washington University Law School in 2019, with a focus in International Law and National Security Law. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.
Stephen Fowler, Esq.
Senior Counsel
Stephen Fowler is Senior Counsel at the District Legal Group and is based in Washington, D.C.
Stephem joined DLG after practicing law in Charleston, South Carolina for 12 years. There, Stephen’s practice was focused primarily in the areas of Family Law and Personal Injury Litigation. Stephen looks forward to bringing his knowledge of those practice areas to serving DLG’s clients and to expanding his practice into the areas of Labor & Employment Law.
Stephen’s broad experiences include: guiding clients through both contested, mediated, and settled resolutions in divorces, child custody, child support, alimony, and marital property disputes; and, recovering settlements for clients in a wide range of personal injury matters including, dram shop liability, assault and battery, slip and fall, automobile accidents, and bicycle injuries.
Stephen is a member of the District of Columbia and South Carolina Bars and is also admitted to practice before the Federal District of South Carolina and the Federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Stephen earned his Juris Doctor at the Charleston School of Law, where he served as a founding member and Articles Editor of the Federal Courts Law Review. Stephen attended Columbia College where he majored and received his Bachelor of Arts in Public Affairs.
Stephen lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife and son.
Jalaya Thrash
Firm Administrator
Jalaya Thrash is the Law Firm Administrator of the District Legal Group and is based in Washington, DC. Approaching client management and interfacing with empathy, professionalism, and diligence, she is dedicated and driven to achieve the ultimate client satisfaction and oversee the day-to-day operations of the firm.
Jalaya is a 2nd generation Washington, DC native who received her Bachelor’s degree in Business with concentrations in Health Management, and a mother to a small child.
I am a distinguished administrative professional; that is innovative, dedicated and driven. I am a second generation Washington D.C. native.
I believe that “one should never give up; & always continuously strive.”
I’ve accomplished numerous achievements, including a Bachelor’s degree in Business with concentrations in Health Management.
Dionna Maria Lewis, Esq.
Managing Attorney
