What type of organization is WARN?
Founded by an attorney who himself is a federal whistleblower, WARN is one of America’s most distinguished public interest law offices focused on whistleblower advocacy, anti-bullying and police accountability. We are the first public interest law office to be led by the originator of the Anti-Harassment Unit, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Headquarters.
Our interdisciplinary team is comprised of exceptionally talented and experienced professionals. We provide advocacy and resource networking nationwide for whistleblowers, survivors of workplace bullying/harassment, and persons who have experienced police abuse.
Is WARN a 501c3 nonprofit?
No. WARN is registered in Virginia as a sole proprietorship. We do not claim tax exemption status for the purposes of donations.
Is WARN a law firm?
Not in the traditional sense. We are a public interest law office, and thus not profit-driven. Whereas traditional law firms primarily represent clients in litigation, we seek a more innovative and timely approach to helping people confront human rights violations.
I am afraid of retaliation from my employer. Are your services confidential?
Yes. All communications between you and the WARN team are held strictly confidential to the fullest extent allowed under law.
What services do you offer?
We currently provide the following services:
1) Resource Networking
2) Complaint Review
3) Legal Representation
Resource Networking
We recognize that not every situation necessitates a legal approach. Accordingly, we strive to connect people to resources and networks around the country that may be in a better position to address their needs, including providing invaluable emotional support. We do not charge for our resource networking services.
Complaint Review
This is one of America’s most innovative legal programs – considered to be the first of its kind. We offer a professional analysis of your complaint at a modest, one-time flat fee. If accepted for analysis, we will review your complaint (maximum 25 pages) and help you assess strengths and potential weaknesses of your case. We will provide written feedback.
A popular feature of our Complaint Review program is that we will provide you with one (1) hour of dialogue with our Chief Counsel. During this time, you will have the opportunity to raise general questions and share your experience confidentially.
Why would I need a complaint review service?
Whether or not you need our service is for you to determine. From our experience reviewing, investigating and rendering final determinations on complaints for approximately two decades in government – experience not shared by most attorneys – we believe that complaints that are written well and evidence-based stand a better chance of being successful.
While we cannot promise successful outcomes, we believe that we can help you strengthen and professionalize your case. That is our objective.
Is the Complaint Review Service limited to the jurisdiction of DC?
No, only our legal representation is currently limited to the District of Columbia. Our office is otherwise national in scope.
Anyone in the U.S. may request our Complaint Review Service. Our future plans include hiring attorneys across the U.S. to broaden our legal representation.
Who will review my complaint?
Your complaint will be reviewed or directly supervised by our Chief Counsel, a licensed DC Attorney with many years of government experience in complaint management, including rendering final determinations and recommending disciplinary action. Your complaint will never be outsourced by WARN.
Do you accept all requests for Complaint Review?
Our process is highly selective. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and other considerations, we cannot accept all requests.
How long does the Complaint Review process take?
Depending on the complexity of the matter and our schedule, we expect to provide our written analysis to you within seven (7) business days. We will promptly inform you if more time is required.
Do you edit my complaint?
We do not edit, suggest language, or in any manner re-write your complaint. It is, after all, your complaint. Our role is to point out certain strengths and potential weaknesses in your complaint, in efforts to help you build the strongest case possible.
For example, we may observe that your complaint contains a great deal of information that appears to be factually and legally irrelevant to your case. Our goal is to help you build a precise and concise argument that stands the best chance of being persuasive.
Do you advise as to whether or not I have a strong case?
We do not comment as to whether or not you have a viable case; whether or not you should pursue the matter; or your likelihood of success. We do not usurp the role of your counsel.
Do you provide legal advice in the Complaint Review program?
We may provide substantive legal input as jurisdictionally appropriate. However, serving as your counsel is not our role in the Complaint Review program.
If I have a lawyer, can I still utilize your Complaint Review program?
Consult your attorney first. Some attorneys welcome an outside, objective perspective. Others may resist input from anyone not affiliated with their office.
If counsel objects to our assistance, prior to commencing services, we will respect counsel’s wishes and our services will not be available to you. Your attorney is your primary legal advisor and we support that relationship.
Legal Representation
We are exceptionally selective as to matters chosen for legal representation. In very limited circumstances, we may form an attorney/client relationship. Two criteria, in the order below, must be met before we accept a case:
1) The matter must be within our legal jurisdiction, meaning we are authorized by law to provide legal representation in the matter.
2) The Chief Counsel must determine that the matter has legal sufficiency and is appropriate for representation by WARN.
What type of matters do you specialize in?
We may address issues including whistleblower retaliation, workplace bullying, sexual harassment, police excessive use of force (which we have written is a form of bullying – see website) and other violations of human rights.
Do you represent faculty and employees in academia?
Yes. If they meet our criteria, we proudly stand with the academic community.
Do you represent employers?
We do not represent employers, agencies or corporate CEOs. WARN is 100 percent for the employee, as well as civilian complainants of police abuse. We seek to level the playing field and represent the “underdog.”
What are the qualifications of the Chief Counsel?
Attorney Shenandoah Titus has virtually unmatched expertise. He served as the chief human rights official of two municipalities in Massachusetts. He instituted and led the first Anti-Harassment Unit in the history of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Headquarters, Washington, DC, receiving the prestigious Secretary of Homeland Security Award for Excellence.
A Berkeley Law scholar currently pursuing the Master of Laws (LLM) degree, Shenandoah holds four degrees, primarily from Cornell – with extensive on campus executive education at Harvard Law School. Mr. Titus has over two decades of professional experience investigating and adjudicating harassment and retaliation complaints, including alleged police harassment, advising on human rights, supporting the higher education community, promoting workplace ethics and ethical policing. He brings a rare passion and perspective to his work, as he is one of very few attorneys in the U.S. who has personal experience as a whistleblower. In 2018, he obtained a favorable settlement in his whistleblower retaliation legal action against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. Titus is licensed to practice law by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals – Bar Number: 888273478. Visit “About the Chief Counsel” for further details. Also see “Our Book” page, as Mr. Titus provides guidance on dealing with workplace abuse!
Please see Fee FAQs for related information.
Disclaimer: This document is for informational purposes only, and does not serve as an offer to contract in whole or in part or to establish an attorney/client relationship.