New Jersey Law Against Discrimination Lawyers

NJLAD Attorneys in Moorestown, NJ, Ready to Stand Up for You

Something felt wrong at work, and you couldn't shake it. Maybe you were passed over for a promotion you'd earned, saddled with duties no one else on your team handles, or let go under circumstances that don't add up. If your treatment at work seems like it was based more on your race, sex, age, or membership in a protected class than your performance, you may have options. At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, our New Jersey Law Against Discrimination lawyers provide unwavering employment litigation representation because every worker deserves fair treatment.

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) gives you protections that go well beyond what many people expect. Knowing your rights under this law is the first step toward holding your employer accountable for unfair treatment. As NJLAD attorneys in Moorestown, NJ, we've spent decades helping clients across Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties and beyond push back against unfair treatment at work, and we bring that same commitment to your case.

For a free, confidential consultation, call our firm or fill out our online contact form today.

New Jersey Law Against Discrimination Protections Reach Further Than You Might Expect

When it comes to discrimination in the workplace, both federal and state laws may apply. Where federal law stops, New Jersey law keeps going, covering a longer list of protected characteristics and reaching many employers who fall outside federal law's protection entirely.

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq., protects you from mistreatment at work based on qualities that have nothing to do with your ability to do your job.

Under NJLAD, protected characteristics include:

• Age
• Race
• Color
• National origin
• Nationality
• Ancestry
• Creed
• Religion
• Sex
• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• Affectional or sexual orientation
• Gender identity or expression
• Disability
• Marital, civil union, or domestic partnership status
• HIV or AIDS status
• Atypical hereditary cellular or blood traits
• Genetic information
• Liability for service in the Armed Forces, including certain military service obligations

Many of these categories, such as civil union status, domestic partnership status, and certain hereditary cellular or blood traits, reflect protections that are broader or more specific than those available under federal employment discrimination law.

And unlike federal anti-discrimination laws that generally apply only to employers with 15 or more workers, NJLAD covers virtually every employer in the state. The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination provides these protections regardless of whether you work for a small local business or a national corporation.

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Recognizing and Proving Discrimination in Your Workplace Can Be Harder Than It Seems

Discrimination at work rarely announces itself. More often, it surfaces as a slow shift you can sense before you can explain it: the tone of a conversation changes, opportunities quietly stop coming your way, or a working relationship that used to feel fine suddenly feels strained, all without a clear moment you can point to as the turning point.

What makes this especially hard is timing. If the shift lines up closely with something your employer learned about you, whether that's a pregnancy, a medical diagnosis, your religious practice, or something else entirely, that timing itself can become important evidence, even if nothing was ever said directly.

Rather than isolated incidents, these occurrences may all be pieces of a larger pattern of discrimination. Recognizing that a pattern exists is only the first step. To hold your employer accountable, you need evidence that shows how you were treated differently from coworkers outside your protected class. That kind of evidence often comes from sources you might not think to preserve on your own:

• Performance reviews: Copies of evaluations, especially any that changed noticeably after a protected characteristic became known to your employer
• Communications: Emails, texts, or messages that reference your treatment, your protected characteristic, or the reasoning behind a decision
• Comparator information: Details about how coworkers outside your protected class were treated in similar situations
• Witness accounts: Coworkers who observed the treatment or the circumstances surrounding it

Our New Jersey Law Against Discrimination lawyers help you identify what evidence supports your case and how to gather it before it becomes harder to access.

Your Options for Filing an Employee Discrimination Claim

You generally have two state-level paths for pursuing an employment discrimination claim in New Jersey. Each works differently depending on what you're looking for from the process.

Filing a Discrimination Claim in New Jersey Superior Court

You can file a claim in New Jersey Superior Court under NJLAD, which puts your case directly into the litigation process. This route allows you to pursue your claim through discovery, depositions, and potentially a trial. Through this path, you have access to the full range of remedies available under NJLAD, including compensatory and punitive damages.

Litigation tends to take longer and involves more formal procedure, but it also gives you and your attorney more control over how the case unfolds and how aggressively to pursue your employer.

Filing a Complaint With the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights

You also have the option of filing an administrative complaint with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR), the state agency responsible for investigating discrimination claims, but this administrative route has its own shorter filing deadline.

This action starts an administrative process instead of litigation. Once you file a complaint, the DCR investigates your claim, which can include gathering documents, interviewing witnesses, and reviewing your employer's records. If the DCR finds probable cause that discrimination occurred, your case can proceed to a hearing before an administrative law judge, or the DCR may work toward a resolution on your behalf.

This path often costs less upfront and moves through a different, more agency-driven process than a courtroom lawsuit, which can appeal to workers who want their claim investigated without immediately committing to full litigation.

Both paths lead to real consequences for employers who violate the law. The right choice for you depends on your goals, your evidence, and how you want your case to unfold. Our NJLAD attorneys in Moorestown, NJ, will walk you through whichever path best fits your circumstances.

Know the Deadlines: Time Limits for Filing a Discrimination Claim Under NJLAD

Deadlines matter in employment discrimination cases, and the right deadline depends on how you choose to pursue your claim.

If you file an NJLAD claim in New Jersey Superior Court, you generally have two years from the date of the discriminatory act to bring your lawsuit. That’s a distinction from federal employment discrimination claims, which usually require filing a charge with the EEOC before you can bring a lawsuit and may carry much shorter administrative deadlines than the NJLAD court-filing deadline. New Jersey courts have also made clear that employers generally cannot shorten the NJLAD two-year window through language in an employment contract, handbook, or offer letter.

The administrative process works differently. If you choose to file a complaint with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, you must act sooner because DCR complaints are subject to a shorter filing deadline. That shorter deadline is one reason it is important to speak with an attorney early, even though NJLAD gives workers more time to file in court than many people realize.

Timing can also become more complicated when the discrimination did not happen all at once. Some cases involve a single employment decision, such as a termination, demotion, refusal to promote, or denial of accommodation. Others involve a pattern of treatment that develops over time. The deadline analysis may depend on which acts are being challenged, when they happened, and whether the facts support treating them as part of a continuing pattern.

At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, we know that this extra time can make a real difference, especially if you are still processing what happened or gathering documentation to support your case. But it is still in your best interests to speak with an attorney sooner rather than later. Building an effective case takes time, and the evidence that can support your claim is often more readily available early on.

Outcomes Your New Jersey Law Against Discrimination Lawyers May Be Able to Pursue for You

When your employer violates NJLAD, New Jersey law gives you access to remedies that go beyond what many workers expect, and further than what federal law alone would provide.

Unlike federal law, which caps the amount of damages available based on your employer's size, NJLAD places no such limit on what you can recover. This means punitive damages, awarded in cases involving especially serious or malicious misconduct, may remain available to you regardless of how large or small your employer is.

NJLAD claims can result in compensation for back pay, lost benefits, emotional distress, front pay or reinstatement, and attorney's fees and litigation costs, giving your case the full weight of the law behind it.

That distinction alone makes New Jersey's law one of the most protective in the country. It's also part of why our New Jersey Law Against Discrimination lawyers often find that pursuing your claim under state law is, in many cases, the stronger path forward.

Advocacy Built Around Your Workplace, Your Case, and Your Future

When you bring your case to Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, you gain a legal team that looks at every angle of your situation before deciding on a strategy.

We start by listening to what happened at your workplace and gathering the documentation, witness accounts, and communication records that can support your claim. From there, we handle every stage of the process on your behalf, from filing with the DCR or in court to negotiating with your employer's legal team.

We handle the claim so you can focus on your job search, your family, or simply moving forward.

A discrimination claim isn't only about compensation. It's about accountability and about pushing employers to change the practices that led to your mistreatment in the first place. Whatever outcome matters most to you, whether that's a financial settlement, a return to your position, or simply closure, our NJLAD attorneys in Moorestown, NJ, build our approach around your goals rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.

Why Choose Attorneys Hartman, Chartered as Your New Jersey Law Against Discrimination Lawyers?

When you're deciding which attorney to trust with your employment discrimination claim, here's what sets our firm apart:

A Family Firm Rooted in South Jersey Since 1964

Attorneys Hartman, Chartered began in Mount Holly and has called Moorestown home since 1981. We understand the courts, employers, and communities of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Cumberland counties and the surrounding areas, and our office is just a short drive from the communities where our clients work. Working with us means that you’re not just one case among thousands at a national firm. You’re working with a team of attorneys with decades of hands-on experience that has built its reputation locally, one client at a time.

Recognition That Reflects Real Standing Among Peers and Courts

Katherine D. Hartman holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized as a New Jersey Super Lawyer, distinctions that reflect professional recognition within the legal community. For clients, those credentials offer additional confidence when choosing representation for a serious employment discrimination matter.

A Strategy Built Around Your Case, Not a Template

Every discrimination claim looks different. Your workplace, your role, and exactly what happened to you all matter. That’s why we work to understand your specific situation before developing an approach. You get personal attention from an attorney who has taken the time to know your facts, not a generic playbook applied to every client.

Attorneys Who Don't Back Down From a Fight

Taking on a large employer can feel intimidating, especially when you're worried about the resources they can put behind a defense. We have both the skill and the resolve to challenge corporate employers directly, and we bring that same tenacity to negotiations and litigation alike.

Contact Our NJLAD Attorneys in Moorestown, NJ, Today to Discuss Your Case During a Free Consultation

You don't have to face your employer's legal team alone, and you don't have to figure out your next step by yourself, either. Reach out to Attorneys Hartman, Chartered today at 856-393-60733 or through our online contact form to schedule a free consultation with our New Jersey Law Against Discrimination lawyers.

We'll listen to what happened, walk you through your options, and help you decide how to take action that makes sense for your future.