Education
College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, J.D., 1990
Wake Forest University, B.A. English, Cum Laude, 1987
Bar Admissions
State
Virginia (1992)
District of Columbia (1992)
Maryland (2002)
Federal
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals
— D.C. Circuit
— Fourth Circuit
U.S. District Court
— Eastern District of Virginia
— Western District of Virginia
— District of the District of Columbia
— District of Maryland
Partner
Email: mradcliffe@islerdare.com
Michelle Bodley Radcliffe is a Partner with Isler Dare, P.C. Michelle has specialized in representing employers in employment matters for the past 20 years, and she has litigated employment and commercial cases for 25 years. Her practice focuses on providing advice and counsel to clients on all substantive issues of employment law, including:
Counseling and disciplining employees
Employment policies
Wage-hour issues
Internal investigations
Employment, non-compete, incentive compensation and severance agreements
Michelle also regularly represents employers in administrative charges and litigation. In addition to her trial experience, she has successfully obtained dismissals and summary judgment rulings in her clients’ favor and facilitated settlements favorable to her clients in mediation.
Michelle not only advises employers regarding internal investigations on an on-going basis, but she also has significant experience conducting such investigations. In the last 20 years, she has investigated a wide variety of purported wrongdoing in the workplace, including allegations of unlawful discrimination and harassment, retaliation, violations of ethics codes, employment policy violations, general misconduct, and potentially criminal conduct. Michelle has performed such reviews for a broad variety of clients, including commercial, non-profit and educational entities of varying sizes, national retail businesses, large and small government contractors, technology companies, and professional firms, businesses and associations.
Michelle is a regular speaker at CLE seminars on topics including employee policies, effective and lawful hiring practices, sexual and other harassment and discrimination, and the FMLA and ADA. She also frequently provides training for her clients’ managers and HR professionals on managing employees legally and effectively.
Michelle is a member of the Virginia, District of Columbia, and Maryland Bars. She graduated cum laude in 1987 from Wake Forest University and received her law degree in 1990 from the College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, where she was an Executive Editor of the Law Review and served on the Judicial Council. Michelle clerked for the Honorable James H. Michael, Jr., United States District Court, Western District of Virginia. Before joining Isler Dare, P.C., she practiced in Washington, D.C. with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP. She resides in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband, Edward, and sons Nate and Will.
Professional and Community Involvement
Bar Associations
Fairfax County Bar Association, Employment Law Section
— Member, Continuing Legal Education Committee
Virginia Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
District of Columbia Bar, Labor Relations Section
Montgomery County Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
Honors
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© – 2014 to 2023
Recognized in The Best Lawyers Business Edition 2017: Women in the Law for work in the practice area of Labor and Employment Law
Recognized in The Best Lawyers Business Edition 2016: Women in the Law for work in the practice area of Labor and Employment Law
Publications
Contributing Editor, Employment Discrimination Law (3rd Edition), Published by the American Bar Association
Professional / Continuing Legal Education Presentations
MWELA: A New Day in the Old Dominion: Virginia’s Sweeping New Employee-Protection Statutes
(Live Webinar; June 2020)
VBA 48th Annual Conference on Labor and Employment Law: Mediating Workplace Disputes
(Harrisonburg, Virginia; October 2018)
Virginia CLE: Social Media in the Workplace: Ten Rules Employment Lawyers Need to Know
(Charlottesville, Virginia; August 2018)
Living in the #MeToo Era: Best Practices for Ensuring a Positive Work Environment and Reducing the Risk of Legal Liability
(Tysons Corner, Virginia; June 2018)
The District of Columbia Bar: Social Media Policies in the Workplace: Drafting Tips
(Washington, DC: April 2016)
The District of Columbia Bar: Drafting Effective Social Media Policies for the Workplace
(Washington, DC: March 2015)
WashingtonExec Strategic Human Capital Council: Trying to Keep Up with the Laws Pertaining to Employee Use of Social Media and Avoiding Litigation Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
(Tysons Corner, VA: May 2014)
IslerDare Breakfast Briefing: Creating and Implementing Cutting-Edge Employee Policies and Handbooks
(Tysons Corner, VA: May 2014)
The District of Columbia Bar: Drafting Employee Handbooks (Including Social Media Policies)
(Washington, DC: May 2014)
The District of Columbia Bar: Drafting Employee Handbooks (Including Social Media Policies)
(Washington, DC: March 2014)
The District of Columbia Bar: Drafting Employee Handbooks in the District of Columbia
(Washington, DC: October 2011)
Lorman Education Services: Employment Law From A to Z in Maryland
(Gaithersburg, Maryland; July 2011)
The District of Columbia Bar: Drafting Employee Handbooks in the District of Columbia
(Washington, DC: March 2011)
Lorman Education Services: Employment Law From A to Z in Maryland
(Gaithersburg, Maryland; October 2008)
Greater Metropolitan District of Columbia Medical Group Management Association: Addressing Employment Law in Medical Practice
(Washington, DC; September 2006)
Fairfax Bar Association: Screening Requests for Help with Employment Issues: An Opportunity to Assist Legal Aid Clients from Your Office
(McLean, Virginia; May 2006)
Lorman Education Services: Gone But Not Forgotten: Handling CommonPost-Employment Issues
(Arlington, Virginia; February 2002)
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Northern Virginia Chapter: Employment Law From A to Z: Forms and Best Practices
(Falls Church, Virginia, June 2000)
Council on Education in Management: Personnel Law Update ’99 – Managing Invisible Disabilities in Accordance with New Legal Trends
(Falls Church, Virginia; September 1999)