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FAQs: Our Process, Your Case, Funding, Troubleshooting, and Resources for Specific Populations

Questions about the legal network for gender equity/time's up legal defense fund process

How does the legal network/time's up legal defense fund process work?

You fill in the form on our website. We will send you the names of three lawyers in our network if your situation involves:

  • Sex discrimination or harassment
    • at school;
    • in the workplace or your career; or
    • as a patient; OR
  • Leave from work for COVID-19 related reasons

Lawyers in the Legal Network for Gender Equity agree to a first free consultation with the people who receive their names from us. At that consultation, you can ask your questions and get advice.

After the free first call or meeting, you may want to hire the attorney. Some of the attorneys may offer free or low-cost services. Note that the Legal Network for Gender Equity will have provided you with the names and contact information of attorneys in the Legal Network for informational purposes only. By providing contact information of attorneys, the Legal Network, the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, and NWLC are not endorsing, approving, vouching for, or recommending these attorneys or their firms.

The Legal Network for Gender Equity (Legal Network) is housed and administered by the National Women’s Law Center Fund, LLC , an affiliate of the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC).  NWLC is a legal advocacy organization that fights for gender justice – in the courts, in public policy, and in our society – working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls.  NWLC attorneys represent a limited number of individuals and organizations in legal matters with the potential to impact the law more broadly.  Your request for legal help will be reviewed by NWLC staff.  In some instances, NWLC staff may contact you about your situation to discuss engaging with NWLC in advocacy or litigation.  However, NWLC typically only takes on a few matters each year.  If NWLC is unable to take your case, as will be the norm, NWLC still may be able to connect you to private attorneys through the Legal Network.  Please note that contacting us to request legal assistance does not create an attorney-client relationship with NWLC or with any attorney in the Legal Network.   

How will the lawyer know that I got their name from name from the legal network for gender equity?

You will tell them. When we send you the names of lawyers, we will include a document that has possible language to use when you reach out to the lawyers explaining that you received their name from the Legal Network for Gender Equity.

Do I have to pay the lawyer?

You do not have to pay for the first consultation. This is your chance to talk to a lawyer and figure out what steps make sense for you.

After the first consultation, if you and the lawyer agree that that the lawyer should represent you whether you must pay depends on the lawyer. Some lawyers in the Legal Network will take cases for a reduced fee or for free; some will not. Some lawyers will work on what is called a “contingency fee” basis where the lawyer will only be paid if you recover money. Other lawyers require a retainer to start working on your case. When you contact an attorney from the Legal Network, you may ask questions about the fees and costs of the representation and other matters. When we send you the names of lawyers, we will also send you a document that explains different types of fee arrangements lawyers use.

If the case involves workplace sexual harassment or related retaliation and meets other requirements, the lawyer may apply for funding from the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund.

Do I have to reach out to the lawyers right away?

It is up to you whether and when to reach out to the lawyers. Some legal claims have strict timelines, so we recommend that if you are considering legal action or want to know your options, you reach out to the lawyers as soon as you can.

What types of lawyers are in the legal network for gender equity?

To join the Legal Network for Gender Equity, lawyers must be licensed to practice and meet their state’s standard for malpractice insurance. If they have been disciplined before for a serious matter or recently (i.e., within the last year), we do not allow them in the Legal Network.

Lawyers tell us what areas of the law they can work on – for example, employment law, defamation law, law about school sexual harassment, or law about patient harassment in health care settings. We use that information to try to make sure that we are sending names of lawyers who take the type of case that you have.

Lawyers are required to do some type of trauma-informed training before joining the Network, which can include the webinars we provide here: https://nwlc.com/resources/webinars-for-attorneys/.

Lawyers in the Legal Network also agree that they will:

  • Respond within five business days to anyone connected to them through the Legal Network.
  • Not charge for the first consultation.
  • During the first consultation, provide advice about what the person can do about their legal rights.
  • Let the Legal Network know if they end up representing the person

After the free first call or meeting, you may want to hire the attorney. Some of the attorneys may offer free or low-cost services. Note that the Legal Network for Gender Equity will have provided you with the names and contact information of attorneys in the Legal Network for informational purposes only. By providing contact information of attorneys, the Legal Network, the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, and NWLC are not endorsing, approving, vouching for, or recommending these attorneys or their firms.

I am not interested in legal help - what other assistance do you offer?

Here you can find a list of other resources that may be of assistance to you.

My Issue Is Not About Sex Discrimination or Harassment in the Workplace, Education, or Health Care, or About Leave From Work for Covid-19 Related Reasons. Can You Still Help Me?

We are sorry. The attorneys in our network work on issues regarding sex discrimination and harassment in the workplace, education, and health care and leave from work for COVID-19 related reasons. If your problem concerns other issues, our attorneys will not be a good fit for you. You may look here for other resources.

Who will review my request for legal help?

Your request for legal help will be reviewed by National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) staff.  Your request will principally be reviewed by NWLC staff dedicated to running NWLC’s Legal Network for Gender Equity (Legal Network).  In addition to housing the Legal Network, NWLC represents a limited number of individuals and organizations in legal matters with the potential to impact the law more broadly, including in matters relating to sex discrimination in the workplace, education, and health care.  Your request for legal help may be shared with NWLC attorneys working on legal advocacy on issues related to your experiences, and you may be contacted separately by NWLC attorneys to invite you to consider engaging with NWLC in litigation or other legal advocacy.  However, NWLC typically only takes on a few matters each year.  If NWLC is unable to take your case, as will be the norm, NWLC still may be able to connect you to private attorneys through the Legal Network.  Please note that contacting us to request legal assistance does not create an attorney-client relationship with NWLC or with any attorney in the Legal Network.   

Questions about your case

Is it too late to bring my case?

Different laws have different timelines, so whether your case is timely depends on many factors such as what type of case it is and whether it is in state or federal court.

Sex discrimination in employment: Title VII is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination and harassment in employment. To bring a case under Title VII you must first file a charge of with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). There are strict deadlines for when you must file with the EEOC, which are different depending on the state. To learn more, look at https://www.eeoc.gov/. Some state laws protecting against sex discrimination in employment have different deadlines.

Sex discrimination in education: Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination and harassment in education. The deadline for filing a Title IX lawsuit is tied to the deadline for filing a personal injury claim and, depending on your state, ranges from 1 to 6 years. Some state laws protecting against sex discrimination in education have different deadlines. If you want to file an administrative complaint (not a lawsuit) with the U.S. Department of Education, the deadline to file is generally 180 days after your school’s most recent discriminatory action.

Sex discrimination in health care: Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in health care. Some state laws protecting against sex discrimination in health care have different deadlines. If you want to file an administrative complaint (not a lawsuit) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services you must file it within 180 days of when you knew that the act or omission complained of occurred.

Leave for COVID-19 related reasons: The Families First Corona Virus Relief Act (FFCRA) is a federal law that provides for paid sick leave and paid longer term leave for reasons related to the COVID-19 for certain workers The law only covers requests for leave from April 2020 to December 2020. The deadline for filing a suit under the FFCRA for sick leave or longer term leave is two years. Some state laws also provide for sick leave and paid leave and have different deadlines.

Is what happened to me illegal?

The law recognizes only specific kinds of harassment or discrimination as illegal. Sometimes things that are wrong or unfair are not illegal. You can find information about your legal rights by speaking to a Legal Network for Gender Equity attorney or at the links below:

In the Workplace

Sexual Harassment
https://nwlc.org/resources/faq-about-sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace/

Acoso Sexual
https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021.05.13_SHKYR-Spanish.pdf

Pregnancy Discrimination
https://nwlc.org/resources/pregnant-at-work-know-your-rights/

Our Turn: Legal Rights (English)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hlmYISUuuv8-vcCpMn9ONr4ZveQq5Z9o

Our Turn: Derechos Legales  (Español)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1h-7VjA9NZE-Pc_FQivuRbR0WrD3xwOoA

Legal Protections for LGBTQ Employees
https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021.03.12-LGBTQ-Fact-sheet-ENGLISH.pdf

Protecciones legales para empleados LGBTQ
https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/LGBTQ-Fact-sheet-Spanish.pdf 

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Complaint Process: The Basics
https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/EEOC-Fact-sheet-English.pdf

Proceso de quejas de la Comisión de Igualdad de oportunidades en el Empleo (EEOC) de EE.UU.: Aspectos básicos
https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/EEOC-Fact-sheet-Spanish.pdf

Civil Litigation Process: The Basics
https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Civil-Litigation-Fact-Sheet.pdf 

Proceso de litigio civil: Aspectos básicos
https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Civil-Litigation-Fact-Sheet-Spanish.pdf

In School

Sexual Harassment
https://nwlc.org/resource/metook12/

Trump Administration’s New Regulations Regarding Sexual Harassment
https://nwlc.org/resource/devos-new-title-ix-sexual-harassment-rule-explained/

Sexual Harassment of Students with Disabilities
https://nwlc.org/resource/survivor-justice-is-disability-justice/

Transparency in Reporting Sexual Harassment at Schools
https://nwlc.org/resource/actually-you-can-disclose-that-transparency-in-sexual-assault-reporting-the-family-educational-records-privacy-act-ferpa/

Discipline of Girls of Color
https://nwlc.org/resource/let-her-learn-a-toolkit-to-stop-school-push-out-for-girls-of-color/

Discipline for Dress Code Violations
https://nwlc.org/resource/dresscoded/

Rights of Pregnant and Parenting Students
https://nwlc.org/resource/pregnant-and-parenting-students-rights-toolkit/

Inclusion of Transgender Students in Athletics
https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trans-Athlete-Facts-9.12.19.pdf

When Trying to Get Health Care

Sex discrimination in healthcare:
https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/1557-KYR.pdf

Leave from Work for COVID-19 Related Reasons

https://nwlc.org/resource/new-leave-provisions-for-workers-affected-by-covid-19/

Should I File a Complaint With a Federal Agency?

Whether you need to file a complaint with a federal agency depends on what type of discrimination you have experienced. You may also be able to file with a state agency. To learn more about filing with a federal agency:

Questions About Funding for Cases of Workplace Sexual Harassment and Related Retaliation

How Do I Apply for Funding for My Case?

Funding for cases is only available for cases of workplace sexual harassment and related retaliation. The application must come from the lawyer. The application is here https://nwlc.org/times-up-legal-defense-fund/attorney-application-for-financial-support-from-the-times-up-legal-defense-fund/. Unfortunately, we cannot fund all cases that apply.

Which Cases Receive Funding?

Funding for cases is only available for cases of workplace sexual harassment and related retaliation. A priority will be given to matters involving individuals in low-wage jobs who could not otherwise obtain legal help to challenge sexual harassment or defend against related retaliation. To learn more about the criteria that guide funding decisions look here: https://nwlc.org/times-up-legal-defense-fund/attorney-application-for-financial-support-from-the-times-up-legal-defense-fund/.

We cannot guarantee that a specific case will be funded, and we cannot fund all the cases that apply.

Decisions regarding funding are made by the staff of the National Women’s Law Center. These determinations are made free from the influence of donors and without the regard to the source of funds.

Can My Attorney Apply for Funding to Cover the Attorney’s Retainer?

Yes, your attorney can apply for funding to cover the retainer amount. If your attorney has any questions about this, they can reach out to us at [email protected].

If My Attorney Refuses to Apply for Funding, What Can I Do?

We cannot make an attorney apply for funding. We can talk to them to answer any questions they may have about the funding process. You tell the attorney to reach out to us at [email protected], or you can reach out to us and leave us the attorney’s contact information.

How Do I Apply for Media Assistance?

Media assistance is only available for case of workplace sexual harassment and related retaliation. When you fill in the form requesting help, you should indicate that you are interested in public relations assistance.

Please note that you must have an attorney in order to apply for public relations assistance.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide public relations assistance to all the individuals that apply for it.

Troubleshooting Use of the Legal Network for Gender Equity or Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund

I Filled in the Form but Have Not Received the Names of Lawyers. What Should I Do?

We are so sorry that this happened. This could be due to a few problems:

  • The form may not have been sent to us. If the form was submitted, you should have received an email from the [email protected] telling you that we received your form.
  • Is your request about sex discrimination or harassment in education, the workplace, or when trying to get health care or about leave from work for COVID-19 related reasons? If your question involves other areas of the law, we will send you an email with other resources, but we will not send you the names of lawyers.
  • It usually takes about 10 days to receive a response from the Legal Network.
  • The email will come from [email protected]. Sometimes it goes to spam or junk folders so please check there.
  • Make sure you can receive emails from [email protected].

If you still have questions, email us at [email protected].

I Reached Out to the Lawyers and None of Them Got Back to Me, What Can I Do?

We are so sorry that happened. Please contact us at [email protected] and we can send you additional attorneys. Please let us know if we can share your experience with the attorneys who did not contact you. We want to reach out to those attorneys to make sure they understand their obligations.

I Talked to the Attorney and the Attorney Did Not Listen, Did Not Take Me Seriously, or Did Not Treat Me Appropriately, What Can I Do?

We are so sorry this has happened. Please contact us at [email protected] and let us know what happened and who the attorney was. Please let us know if we can share your experience with the attorney. We want to reach out to the attorney to make sure they understand their obligations.

The Lawyer I Hired Is Not Responding to Me. What Can I Do?

We are so sorry this has happened. Please contact us at [email protected]. If your case is one that we have funded, we can reach out to the lawyer on your behalf. Whether it is a case we funded or not, we can try to help you find other lawyers to speak with.

All lawyers are licensed in a specific state. One option you may wish to consider is filing a complaint with the state bar in the state where the lawyer is licensed about the lawyer’s conduct.

My Case Received Funding From Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund but Now I Want to Change Lawyers. How Do I Do That?

Please reach out to us at [email protected]. We may be able to move the funding to a different lawyer. We will need the new lawyer to apply for funding, including providing us with references and a budget for the case.

Specific Topics

Do You Have Information About Sexual Harassment and Black Women?

Do You Have Information About Sexual Harassment and Women With Disabilities?

Do You Have Information on Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Laws and Their Application to LGBTQI+ Individuals?

Working on Sex Discrimination Cases with LGBTQI+ Individuals: An Introduction and Best Practices https://nwlc.org/resources/working-on-sex-discrimination-cases-with-lgbtqi-individuals-an-introduction-and-best-practices/

Do You Have Information on Sexual Harassment and Assault and Trauma?