Benjamin R. Elwood, Attorney

Ben Elwood is an associate with the Schaefer Law Firm, LLC where he concentrates his practice on representing clients in all areas of plaintiffs employment law and consumer protection , with an emphasis on representing clients who have been victimized by illegal and predatory mortgage practices.

In the employment law arena, Ben works closely with his clients, whether individuals or groups, and thoroughly familiarizes himself with every aspect of their situation in order to develop a personalized and effective legal strategy. He has worked with clients on age, gender and disability-discrimination claims under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. He also works on matters involving the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Ben believes strongly that victims of employment discrimination and retaliation are entitled to vigorous representation that will both compensate them for their treatment which typically causes both financial and emotional damage and help change the culture that gave rise to that treatment in the first place.

In the area of consumer protection, Ben works primarily on behalf of clients who have been defrauded by illegal mortgage-lending or mortgage-servicing agreements. Ben also works on the firm's personal injury legal team, representing clients who have sustained injuries as a result of an accident or negligent conduct.

He is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and its Minnesota chapter, and the National Association of Consumer Advocates. He is also a member of the Minnesota State and Hennepin County Bar Associations.

Ben received his B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz and his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School. After college, he received a year-long Fulbright Fellowship to study in France. In law school, he participated in the Immigration Law Clinic, was Managing Editor of the Journal of Law and Inequality , and clerked at the General Counsel's Office of the University of Minnesota . After law school, he clerked at the Minnesota Court of Appeals before joining the Schaefer Law Firm in 2007. Ben also has a Ph.D. in French Literature from Yale University, lived and worked in France for three years, and was a French literature professor before entering legal practice.