Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C. announced that Brent Soderstrum has joined the firm as counsel and Sarah Nesbitt has joined as the June D.W. Kalijarvi Employment Law Fellow.
“Brent and Sarah will be great additions to our team,” said Elaine Fitch, KCNF Managing Partner. “Brent will strengthen our firm and provide valuable skills to our clients. Sarah was selected for the Fellowship because of her commitment to civil rights.”
Brent Soderstrum has more than 30 years of experience handling employment law matters. A skilled litigator, as well as a trained arbitrator and mediator, he has tried cases in both federal and state courts, before arbitrators, at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), at the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and before other state and federal administrative panels.
Soderstrum is a member of the District of Columbia and the Iowa State Bar Associations. He is admitted to practice in the Eighth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.
Prior to joining the firm, Soderstrum was an attorney with the United States Postal Service (USPS) in Landover, Maryland, where he focused on employment law issues. He is a graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and graduated with high distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Sarah Nesbitt joined the firm as the June D.W. Kalijarvi Employment Law Fellow created in honor of June Kalijarvi, who founded KCNF more than 45 years ago. Kalijarvi was a fierce and tireless advocate for federal-sector employees facing discrimination or discipline in the workplace. In her memory, KCNF established a Fellowship for an early-career attorney who has demonstrated a commitment to the public interest and/or employment law.
As a fellow, Nesbitt will have the opportunity to take on significant responsibility in cases covering a range of employment matters and gain hands-on experience by working closely with experienced attorneys on all phases of litigation in various forums including the EEOC, MSPB, Office of Special Counsel, and the Department of Labor.
Nesbitt holds a B.A. in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies from Washington University in St. Louis, and graduated cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Prior to law school, Nesbitt worked at the Texas Council on Family Violence, focusing on policy affecting survivors who interface with the court system. Throughout law school, Nesbitt continued her anti-violence work, advocating to protect students’ civil rights through Title IX policy, organizing, and litigation. She also served as a student attorney in Georgetown Law’s Civil Rights Clinic. Upon graduation, she was awarded the National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Law Student Award for her commitment to gender justice, and she was recognized for completing over 400 pro bono hours during her time as a student.