If you want to make Jamaal “Jay” W. Stafford sit still, ask him about case strategy.

Otherwise, he is in constant motion, meeting new clients, devising ways to resolve their cases, filing motions, and consulting with existing clients. Jay leverages his experience from nearly a decade of working in complex litigation at two major law firms on behalf of individuals with professional licensing or employment law matters. He has built a successful niche in professional licensing defense, helping licensed professionals in Maryland and Washington, D.C. protect their professional licenses and careers. 

Jay relishes counseling, strategizing with, and representing doctors, dentists, nurses, physical therapists, optometrists, real estate agents, social workers, and other licensed Maryland and Washington, D.C. professionals who are forced to assert their rights or defend their reputations against accusations from their professional licensing boards. For example, when a medical professional receives correspondence from their licensing board requesting that they either provide a written response to a complaint, or, even worse, come into the board’s office to sit for an interview, Jay has the experience and the expertise not only to effectively prepare the client for the short-term but to think strategically about the long-term steps that need to be taken to increase the chances of a favorable result. As an attorney, Jay knows what it takes to build a professional career—from education and training through testing and licensure—and he understands how easily it can all be lost through a misunderstanding or an unfounded accusation. In short, Jay is passionate about protecting the ability of licensed professionals to continue in the career field that they sacrificed so much to join.

Jay also has a history of successfully representing employees facing challenges in the workplace. For example, when negotiating non-compete and severance agreements or fighting an allegation of workplace discrimination or sexual harassment, Jay sees the big picture, allowing him to consistently maximize the benefits his clients receive while curtailing their concessions.  And when necessary, Jay is not afraid to take a case to trial.  

For Jay, the best part of practicing law is breaking a complex problem down into simple, approachable components—components that add up to a successful outcome.

Jay’s introduction to complex legal issues began immediately after law school, when he clerked for the Honorable Chief Judge Robert M. Bell (Retired) of the Maryland Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court. Jay continued that focus on appeals with interning at the Maryland Attorney General’s Office before joining the complex litigation team at the international law firm of DLA Piper, LLP, in Baltimore.

Jay briefly moved south, again honing his skills in complex litigation matters at Barrasso, Usdin, Kupperman, Freeman & Sarver, LLC, a top litigation law firm in New Orleans. But the prospect of working with individuals facing their own complex cases in professional licensing or employment law matters drew him to open the Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, LLC. After years of untangling complicated issues for big businesses, Jay now brings his strategic planning and problem-solving skills to bear for Maryland and Washington, D.C. professionals.

Jay takes pride in providing clear guidance on the law, formulating effective strategies to resolve his clients’ problems, and being responsive and proactive with his client communications. Throughout his career, he has earned a reputation for zealously representing every client he works with.