Employment Discrimination Law

Employment and Labor law are dynamic: from your rights in the workplace to how you are paid, Jarvis Law attorneys have expertise on the many aspects of the employment relationship to help you navigate and find resolution to your issue. For businesses, Jarvis Law attorneys can help you understand the law and what you need to do to keep compliance, as well as help you develop effective workplace policies to prevent conflict and manage it with relative ease when it happens.

Wage and hour laws are complex and there are special rules depending on the industry in which employees are performing work. Employers in every industry commit wage violations by miscalculating compensation rates, not paying equal rates for equal work among diverse employees, misclassifying employees, or failing to pay wages on time. We can help you determine if your employer is not complying with federal or state law and, if they’re not, help you recover your hard-earned compensation.

Jarvis Law attorneys have handled overtime violation cases, helped employees demand proper pay, helped them recover money promised under contracts, and helped businesses navigate the legal requirements of varying jurisdictions to ensure they are paying their people fairly and correctly. Whether you are: a state, federal, municipal, or private employee, or a contractor, sub- contractor, or other contracted-for worker, Jarvis Law attorneys will be able to help you assess
your compensation arrangement if you are having a problem.

Employment Law Services

Compensation and Pay

Harassment

Discrimination

Retaliation

Contract Review

For Businesses: Employee Litigation Prevention

Anti-discrimination policies

Workplace policies

Disciplinary structures

Wrongful Termination 

Reach Out to Jarvis Law Today

Harassment?

Experiencing harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation for speaking up about harassment or discrimination at work is one of the most disruptive things a person can experience in their lives. Our attorneys understand the gravity of employment matters of this nature, and will sit with you to hear your story, walk through all the facts with you, and analyze the unique and layered aspects of your situation to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your case. Many cases are resolved with negotiation, formal mediation, or other alternative dispute resolution methods; and Jarvis Law attorneys have successfully achieved their clients’ goals of securing accommodations, getting unlawful behavior to stop in the workplace, correcting discriminatory pay, and obtaining favorable separation terms from employment. If your case is best resolved in court, Jarvis Law attorneys will vindicate your rights to put you back to where you were before things started
going wrong in the workplace.

You Deserve The Best Lawyers

over 30 years of law experience

Employment/Workplace Discrimination Law in Virginia

Jarvis Law serves the Shenandoah Valley by offering comprehensive Employment and Labor Law services to both individuals and businesses. With a dynamic understanding of the complexities within the employment relationship, their attorneys are well-versed in addressing various aspects, ranging from workplace rights to compensation and pay issues. Jarvis Law assists individuals in navigating wage and hour laws, addressing wage violations, and ensuring fair compensation. For those facing harassment, discrimination, or retaliation, the firm provides a supportive environment, helping clients seek resolutions through negotiation, mediation, or litigation when necessary. Contract review services cover a spectrum of employment-related agreements, including compensation, promotions, terms of work, and termination matters. For businesses in the Shenandoah Valley, Jarvis Law offers litigation prevention strategies, aiding in the development of compliance plans, Human Relations materials, and effective workplace policies. Their approach not only ensures legal compliance but also contributes to creating happier and more productive workplaces in the Shenandoah Valley.

Amanda Chaillan

Senior Adviser, Business

Amanda Chaillan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in English from Chapman University in 2008. Her collegiate study focused on intercultural and global relations, including a research semester at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic and a semester of study at Georgetown University, Washington, DC. She also completed an Executive Certificate in Strategic Management from the Harvard Extension School in 2017.

Amanda’s career has always been at the intersection of nonprofits, business and government. Focused on delivering positive impact, she has helped build organizations, develop business strategies and craft messaging that advances the work of visionaries and leaders that are shaping the world. She played a critical role in marketing and practice integration for the energy sector group of a global law firm, led engagement with legal counsel and the Board of Directors to establish and facilitate strategic planning for the launch of a water-focused nonprofit, and has led program teams addressing a range of corporate social responsibilities (CSR) issues.  

Amanda brings her business acumen and operational expertise to every engagement, drawing on her particular strengths in stakeholder engagement, program development and storytelling. She is committed to continuing to build a career of service and working to make a positive impact on the world.

Tarra Smeltzer

Office Manager

Tarra Smeltzer has constructed a career that builds on her passion for personal wellness and strong business ethics. She brings a big heart and incredible attention to detail to every role she takes on. Whether it’s supporting customers or working with colleagues, she is a doer and fixer, helping manage cases, fostering a collaborative culture and trouble-shooting operational and legal issues.

With more than 30 years of customer service experience, Tarra manages the trial and team schedules and coordinates office operations to deliver the best outcomes for Jarvis clients. She also brings research skills and issue experience in the areas of real estate, consumer and family law.

Tarra is a vital member of the Jarvis team, and a caring champion of clients. In her free time she enjoys hiking in the Shenandoah Valley, reading and spending time with her loving family.

Madeline Farris

Paralegal

A student at the College of William & Mary, Madeline Farris is a Classics Major who plans to follow in the footsteps of Mrs. Jarvis as a lawyer and an author. Ever since the age of 12, Madeline has been writing: with six complete novels, Madeline is determined to publish her work, but she loves her work at Jarvis Law, where she is able to crack fascinating cases and help good people. Madeline figures in a leadership position in her campus’s Unitarian Universalist ministry, and also works at the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalist Church as the Childcare Coordinator.

Madeline has experience in the nonprofit and legal aid sectors: she worked with Mrs. Jarvis as Mrs. Jarvis’s intern while Mrs. Jarvis was still a staff attorney at Blue Ridge Legal Services, and also worked with Valley Assistance Network from 2019-2020 as an intern, where she was able to help connect struggling people with necessary resources.

Madeline is also the stepdaughter of a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), so she is studying to obtain her light sport pilots license, for as Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”

Madeline’s favorite areas of law are family, consumer protection, and business law. She enjoys finding odd solutions to difficult problems, and assisting wonderful souls in a world that is sometimes unforgiving and cruel. Madeline’s hobbies include playing the clarinet, taking long walks in nature, and talking to her vivacious pet goldfish, Bertie.

Joshua Smeltzer

Paralegal

Joshua Smeltzer obtained a Bachelor of Science in Philosophy from James Madison University in 2022, following his service with the U.S. Army. He is a compassionate and committed public servant building a career that draws on his strong communication, research and management skills.

Josh seeks out opportunities that require critical thinking and creative solutions to address the complex challenges faced by clients. As a lead researcher, he dives deep into an issue to inform the legal strategy of the Jarvis team. He has led research on legal issues including consumer law, real estate, family law and estate planning.

Josh is a dedicated family man and proud member of the Shenandoah Valley community. In his free time, Josh enjoys physical activities and indulging in a new book.

Elaine Jarvis

Elaine Jarvis obtained her law degree from the Marshall Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary in 1997. She practiced law in D.C. and Northern Virginia for several years, obtaining experience in litigation, antitrust, mergers & acquisitions, bankruptcy and contract law. She put the practice of law on hold for a bit to raise three children and run multiple businesses, with a focus on publishing and helping non-profits. Over the course of a decade, Elaine wrote ten novels and built a social media following of more than 50,000 people with her page and blog, Running from Hell with El. Her first two novels, Ripple: a Tale of Hope and Redemption and I Run: a Novel won awards and hit Amazon bestseller’s list at #1 and #2.

In 2015, Elaine moved from Fairfax County to the mountains of Front Royal and found her love for the practice of law rekindled. She joined Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. (BRLS) in Winchester, where she helped low-income clients in Frederick County, Clarke County, Front Royal, Shenandoah and Page County–and all parts in between. These clients faced legal issues in consumer law, bankruptcy, landlord/tenant, and estate planning. At BRLS, Elaine counted success as roofs kept over heads and clients saved from overwhelming threats to their survival. Leaving BRLS and her office mates was hard, but being able to help folks in Northern Virginia, Manassas, Winchester, the Valley and of course Front Royal while also focusing on complex fact patterns, small businesses, and aggrieved consumers makes for a journey into an exciting future. Elaine’s outside interests include writing, flying airplanes, hiking, adventuring, gardening and piloting things that go fast and land gently. She enjoys running and traveling from mountain to ocean and just about anywhere in between—as long as she can escape the city. She welcomes people from all faith traditions, ethnic backgrounds, genders, and personal belief systems to her practice.