Raina M. Pitts
Counsel
Raina Pitts joined Methfessel & Werbel in September 2009 after a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Frederick J. Schuck, J.S.C. of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Camden Vicinage. Since joining the firm, Raina has concentrated her practice on the defense of public and private sector clients in civil rights, employment, education and insurance coverage matters.
Raina has litigated numerous matters before the United States District Court, as well as the New Jersey Superior Court Law and Appellate Divisions involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title II of the Americans with Disability Act of 1990, Section 1983, the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. In August 2018, Raina litigated a precedential case before the New Jersey Supreme Court that resulted in a July 2019 published decision which immunized student records from requests under the Open Public Records Act and set forth new standards regarding the protection of student records. L.R. v. Camden City Public School District, (A-61/62-17) (080333)
Raina regularly defends public entities and their employees against discrimination complaints filed with the New Jersey Office of Attorney General/Department of Law and Public Safety Division on Civil Rights, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights. Raina also represents school districts and their representatives in administrative matters involving special education disputes/due process, ethics charges and student discipline.
Raina graduated from Howard University School of Law a Merit Scholar, wherein she also completed a legal clerkship with the EEOC and served as a Legal Assistant to the Washington D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, Associate with the National Basketball Players Association and Law Clerk with the Office of the Prosecutor, Camden County.
Raina is a member of the firm’s Employment Practices and Civil Rights group under the direction of Eric L. Harrison.