Atty. Debra S. Katz
Recognized by the Washington Post as “ the feared attorney of the #MeToo movement ,” Debra S. Katz has been successfully litigating employment discrimination, civil rights, and whistleblower protection cases for nearly 40 years.
Profile Summary
About Debra S. Katz at a glance
Debra S. Katz is a employment, whistleblower, litigation, and civil rights attorney based in Washington, District of Columbia, practicing at Katz Banks Kumin LLP. Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania State Bar, District of Columbia, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, District of Columbia, Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and Maryland, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Educated at University of Wisconsin–Madison (J.D., 1984) and Union College (Schenectady) (BA, 1980). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Civil Rights Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Employment Law - Individuals (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Labor and Employment (2026). Serands clients in Washington, DC and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Recognized by the Washington Post as “the feared attorney of the #MeToo movement,” Debra S. Katz has been successfully litigating employment discrimination, civil rights, and whistleblower protection cases for nearly 40 years
- Ms. Katz is a founding partner of Katz Banks Kumin LLP, where she concentrates her practice on employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, whistleblower retaliation claims, and contractual employment disputes
- She has developed extensive litigation experience in federal and local courts and has achieved significant successes in several high-profile cases
- Some of her most notable clients include Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault during his confirmation hearings, and Dr. Rick Bright, a former official at the Department of Health and Human Services who was removed from his position in retaliation for raising concerns about the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Ms. Katz also represented multiple women who were sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein, as well as Irwin Reiter, a former Weinstein Company executive who provided critical information to the New York Times reporters who broke the scandal
- Ms. Katz has been cited as an expert in sexual harassment, employment, and whistleblower law by multiple outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and TIME Magazine
- In 2018, she was honored as “Civil Rights Lawyer of the Year” for Washington, D.C. by The Best Lawyers© In America
- She has been recognized as a “Top Lawyer” by Washingtonian Magazine since 2004, and in 2023 she was included in the magazine’s list of the 500 most influential people in Washington, D.C
- Ms. Katz received her Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Union College, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa
- She received her J.D. degree, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she served as a member of the Wisconsin Law Review and as Articles Editor of the Wisconsin Women’s Law Journal
- Following law school, Ms. Katz clerked for the Hon. William Bablitch on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and held a Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship at Georgetown University Law Center
Practice Areas Explained
Debra S. Katz's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Debra S. Katz handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Employment lawyers represent workers in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage & hour disputes, and severance negotiations.
Debra S. Katz is one of 169,120 employment attorneys indexed nationally. Browse employment attorneys in District of Columbia →
Debra S. Katz is one of 3,552 whistleblower attorneys indexed nationally. Browse whistleblower attorneys in District of Columbia →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Debra S. Katz is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in District of Columbia →
Civil rights attorneys for discrimination, police misconduct, constitutional rights, and civil liberties cases.
Debra S. Katz is one of 70,245 civil rights attorneys indexed nationally. Browse civil rights attorneys in District of Columbia →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in District of Columbia
Practicing law in District of Columbia. Legal matters in District of Columbia are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Washington are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate District of Columbia state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in District of Columbia brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in District of Columbia courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional District of Columbia attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Washington or all attorneys in District of Columbia.
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