Douglas Fierberg | Lake Leelanau Fraternity Hazing Lawyer

Twenty-five years ago, Mr. Fierberg expanded his Washington, D.C.-based trial practice to establish the legal practice of representing victims of school violence nationwide, including fraternity hazing, gun violence, fraternity sexual assault, wrongful death, Title IX, violation of women's rights, and other misconduct resulting in catastrophic injury or death. The aim was to develop the premier national trial practice for victims.

The achievement of that goal is evidenced by unprecedented victories on behalf of victims in state and federal courts across the nationwide.  Tens and tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements against fraternities, schools and wrongdoers have been obtained.  The firm has also obtained for its clients concessions from schools and defendants to make institutions safer and transparent.

Mr. Fierberg founded the national litigation group, Schools: Violence, Misconduct, and Safety, which is part of the American Association for Justice.  Mr. Fierberg is past President of the National Advisory Board of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. Mr. Fierberg was lead counsel for twenty families whose loved ones died or suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of the April 2007 gun violence and massacre at Virginia Tech University, which resulted in a historic settlement with the Commonwealth of Virginia valued at more than $11 Million. He continues to serve as counsel for the VTV Family Outreach Foundation established by the settlement.

Mr. Fierberg has been admitted to practice in federal, district and circuit courts serving Michigan, Maryland and the District of Columbia, and courts located in states in which he is not generally licensed to practice have allowed him to do so in order to serve as lead counsel for cases involving wrongful death, catastrophic personal injury, and complex commercial matters. This includes, among others, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Mr. Fierberg lectures to professional legal associations, victims advocacy organizations, and universities on legal issues related to school violence and victims’ rights.  His most recent lecture was before the National Center for Victims of Crime, Third Party Liability in Cases of Sexual Violence and Other Deadly Misconduct in Schools (December 2015).  He has guest lectured multiple times at Harvard Law School for the Gender Violence, Law and Social Justice class, focusing on litigating against fraternities, schools and students (2018 and 2015).

Mr. Fierberg is a Board Member of the Women's Resource Center, Traverse City, Michigan (“The mission of the Women’s Resource Center is to protect, shelter, and empower people impacted by domestic and sexual violence.”); Member, Senior Advisory Board (current).  Mr. Fierberg is a Board Member of Engender, Yale University (The mission of Engender is to advocate for gender-based integration of social spaces, including fraternities, and end discrimination that restricts and economic opportunities in the fraternity system to men.)

Mr. Fierberg graduated from the University of Michigan (BA, Psychology) with Class Honors in 1980, and received his law degree with Honors from The George Washington University National Law Center in 1988. He is a member of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Michigan Bar.