Brett Swearingen Appointed to Michigan Civil Rights Advisory Committee
Grand Rapids, Mich. March 5, 2025 – Miller Johnson is proud to announce that Grand Rapids attorney Brett Swearingen has been appointed to the Michigan Civil Rights Advisory Committee by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Brett is a Senior Counsel in Miller Johnson’s Employment and Labor section where he litigates on behalf of clients in complex matters of employment and ERISA law. In addition, Brett regularly advises state and federal contractors and grantees on compliance with civil rights laws, as well as religious non-profits on matters regarding employment law and religious liberty. Finally, Brett is also experienced in the statistical analysis of workplace issues, such as using “disparate impact analysis” to help employers test for (and root out) potential discriminatory effects of workplace policies and practices.
Brett previously served as Counselor to the Deputy Secretary at the United States Department of Labor. At the DOL, he counseled the Deputy Secretary and Secretary on employee benefits and civil rights matters and was a key advisor on several important rulemakings within the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), including regulations concerning ESG investing, proxy voting, and fiduciary investment advice, and reforms to OFCCP’s enforcement procedures and religious exemption.
Brett has been recognized as a Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch in Government Relations Practice and Labor and Employment Law – Management 2023-2025, and is also on the Board of Catholic Charities of West Michigan.
Brett was awarded his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 2014 and a B.A. in Political Science from Wheaton College (IL) in 2003. Prior to law school, he also spent a year studying at St. John’s Seminary in Boston.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, is the only independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights and reporting annually on federal civil rights enforcement. Our 56 state Advisory Committees offer a broad perspective on civil rights concerns at state and local levels. In its seventh decade, the Commission exercises a continuing legacy of influence in civil rights. For information about the Commission, please visit www.usccr.gov.
Over the past year, Advisory Committees have released reports on a wide range of topics, including housing discrimination, disparities in pediatric healthcare, artificial intelligence in K-12 education, access to legal counsel, barriers to services for students with disabilities, teacher shortages, fair housing practices, the child welfare system’s impact on Black families, mental health care in juvenile justice systems, and accessibility challenges for individuals with disabilities.
Miller Johnson is Michigan’s Law Firm, providing legal counsel to businesses and individuals in corporate matters, employment and labor law, litigation, employee benefits, and private client representation including estate planning and family law. Since 1959, Miller Johnson has been Michigan-based and has served clients worldwide.
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