Question:

Air Force veteran...while working for veterans affairs was denied a reasonable accommodation...went through EEOC mess..their decision was final and no further right to appeal...now have right to file civil action but coming up empty in anyone wanting to represent me. Do you have any information that would help?

Jim's Reply:

When we enter into a dispute or disagreement with another person or entity, we are usually sure we're correct in our position. Often enough there are policies and procedures in place that will allow us to appeal decisions we feel are flawed. Appeals processes are intended to be fair and often enough we think that they lean on the side of the employee appellant. You had a dispute with your employer. You were given the appropriate appeals processes and those have come to an end with further denial.

Now you want legal help and the lawyers who make their living helping clients with employer/employee disputes don't believe you have a case that they can win.

When we've run through all the options that are available and we are still not getting the response we want, it's time to reconsider our position and accept that we may be wrong. While I have no doubt you believe you're right, the rest of all your interested observers think otherwise.

If you want to proceed I see 2 choices for you. You are allowed to file legal actions yourself as long as you follow the correct procedures for the court you're addressing. You have the Internet at your disposal and cases have been won with less. The other option is to pay a lawyer to help you rather than seeking a contingency fee relationship. Many attorneys may write letters for you and so on for a flat fee. I'd suggest that you set aside about $5000.00 plus dollars to get started if you choose that route. 

I'd offer that you should think about all this carefully and then chalk it up as a learning experience. We all make mistakes in life, sometimes it's best to see what went wrong and move on.