Smithey Law Group opens Washington office for D.C. workers

Smithey Law Group LLC has opened a new Washington, D.C. office to serve federal workers, D.C. government employees and private-sector workers in the District. The move expands access to employment-law representation in a market shaped by both federal rules and D.C.-specific workplace protections.

Why it matters: - The new office gives workers in Washington, D.C. direct access to a firm focused exclusively on employment and labor law. - Federal workers and D.C. employees often face overlapping legal protections, which can make workplace disputes more complex. - The expansion adds another regional option for wage, discrimination and other workplace claims.

What happened: - Smithey Law Group LLC opened a Washington, D.C. office on August 19, 2026. - The Maryland-based firm said the office will serve federal workers, D.C. government employees and private-sector workers in the District. - Joyce Smithey founded the firm in 2018 after more than two decades in employment law.

The details: - Smithey Law Group has more than 25 years of experience representing both employers and employees. - The D.C. office will handle wage issues, unpaid wages and employment discrimination matters. - The firm’s attorneys are admitted in Maryland and the District of Columbia. - Washington, D.C. employment cases can involve both federal statutes and D.C.-specific protections. - Joyce Smithey earned a B.A. in communication from Pepperdine University in 1993 and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1999. - Smithey previously worked in New Hampshire, then returned to Maryland and became an equity partner and chair of the Labor and Employment Practice Group at Rifkin Weiner Livingston LLC. - Smithey is admitted in Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Hampshire and the U.S. Supreme Court. - Smithey holds a Chambers USA Band 1 ranking in Maryland and appears on The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 in Employment Law – Individuals, Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment. - Other honors include Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers, Maryland’s Top 100 Women, Maryland’s Top 50 Women Attorneys, Maryland’s Top 100 Attorneys, Women to Watch, BBJ’s Women of Excellence and Leadership in Law. - Smithey serves as Section Council Member, Legislative Liaison and President-Elect for the Maryland State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section. - Smithey also sits on the board of the Maryland Employment Lawyers Association and belongs to the National Employment Lawyers Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland and the DC Bar Labor and Employment Law Section. - The firm has contributed to the Fourth Edition of the Maryland Rules Commentary and the MSBA Maryland Employment Law Deskbook. - Smithey Law Group attorneys speak at employment law conferences nationwide and have been featured in national and international media.

Between the lines: - The D.C. move positions the firm in a market where federal employment rules and local worker protections intersect. - Joyce Smithey’s credentials and bar admissions suggest the firm is leaning on cross-jurisdiction experience as a competitive advantage. - The emphasis on thought leadership and awards signals the firm wants to be seen as a specialist, not a generalist.

What's next: - The Washington office is now available for clients seeking representation on workplace disputes in the District. - The firm is likely to use the new location to deepen its reach among federal employees and D.C. workers.

The bottom line: - Smithey Law Group is expanding into Washington with a focused employment-law practice aimed at a legally complex and high-demand market.