Jodi E. Silberman v. Department of Labor

**Silberman v. Department of Labor: Worker Wins Attorney Fee Award** Jodi Silberman, a Department of Labor employee, filed a wrongful termination case against her employer. After pursuing her case through the legal system, she sought reimbursement for attorney fees she had paid during different time periods - specifically for legal work done in 2008-2009 and again in 2011. Initially, an administrative judge completely denied Silberman's request for attorney fees from the 2008-2009 period, while also rejecting her request for 2011 fees. However, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) reviewed the case and reached a different conclusion. The Board overturned the judge's blanket denial of the earlier fees and awarded Silberman $1,875 to cover attorney costs from 2008-2009. The Board did uphold the denial of fees for the 2011 legal work. This decision matters for workers because it shows that employees who successfully challenge wrongful termination may be able to recover at least some of their legal expenses. While getting attorney fees isn't guaranteed, workers shouldn't assume they'll be automatically denied - higher courts may review and overturn initial rejections of fee requests.