Onyebuchim Aduire Chinwah

Onye is a dogged advocate for employees, students, whistleblowers, and other victims of civil rights violations.

Fighting for the powerless has always been important to Onye. Being a civil rights and employment attorney gives him the opportunity to fight for the powerless daily—by trying to vindicate employees, whistleblowers, students, and other good, hardworking individuals who have suffered discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or other civil rights violations. Onye litigates individual and class-action lawsuits. He also advises clients on legal issues related to employment, whistleblowing, consumer protection, and contract disputes. His approach to litigation is straightforward: “Litigation is the pursuit of practical ends, not a game of chess.”

​

Nearly a decade of experience has given Onye invaluable insight into the legal subtleties and real-life implications of his clients’ problems. While in law school, he completed a McLeary Law Fellowship at the Human Rights Campaign. There, he authored witness questions for the historic U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that led to the Defense of Marriage Act's repeal. He also helped lobby the Obama administration for an executive order that increased workplace protection for LGBT people.

After graduating from law school, Onye served as a law fellow at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Washington, DC headquarters. He soon joined the D.C. Office of Attorney General as an Assistant Attorney General, successfully representing the District of Columbia in employment and other civil cases. He then moved to a boutique law firm where, as a civil litigation associate, he successfully litigated cases before trial and appellate courts on behalf of federal-sector and private-sector employees.

​

Onye is a graduate of The University of California at Riverside and The University of Texas School of Law.

​

Onye is licensed in the State of Maryland and admitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association, Maryland Employment Lawyers Association, and the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association.