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Beth M. Rivers




Royal Oak, Michigan


Beth M. Rivers practices in labor and employment law and has spent over 45 years exclusively representing plaintiffs in employment discrimination and civil rights cases. She is a member of the Michigan Association of Justice, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the State Bar of Michigan. Ms. Rivers has also served as a board member for the Women's Justice Center and the National Lawyers Guild (Detroit Chapter) and has written several chapters on age discrimination law. A defining moment in Ms. Rivers's career was her involvement in "DeBoer v Snyder," a pivotal case challenging Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage. Her representation of Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown and preparation of an amicus brief helped contribute to the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in "Obergefell v Hodges," which recognized marriage as a fundamental right for same-sex couples. More recently, Ms. Rivers has worked on several high-profile cases, including representing two Hillsdale College students who alleged inadequate support following sexual assault and advocating for prisoners at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility during a scabies outbreak. She also played a key role in securing a $20 million settlement for 3,000 Michiganders wrongly accused of unemployment fraud and a $13 million settlement for victims of an unannounced active shooter drill at a state-run psychiatric hospital.

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