The Fierberg National Law Group, PLLC

09/30/2026

The College “Red Zone.”

The start of the college year should be a time for new experiences—not fear.

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09/11/2026

We’re proud to celebrate attorneys Jacob Goodman and Bailor Bell of The Fierberg National Law Group for earning spots in Traverse City’s 40 Under 40!🏆

Both Jacob and Bailor bring exceptional talent, dedication, and compassion to their work representing individuals and families facing some of life’s most difficult circumstances.

Their recognition as two of the region’s outstanding young professionals is a well-deserved reflection of the commitment they bring to their clients, their profession, and the Northern Michigan community.

Congratulations, Jacob and Bailor! We’re proud to have you on our team. 👏

08/25/2026

NBC 6 South Florida invited TFNLGroup founder and hazing trial attorney Douglas Fierberg to weigh in on a college hazing case that nearly killed two young men who wanted to join a fraternity. Three men, including a U.S. Secret Service agent, now face charges.

For more than three decades, Doug has represented hazing victims and their families, and he used the interview to challenge a myth that keeps students in danger: that hazing is a harmless tradition, or a rite of passage.

As Doug put it, these kinds of failures are often institutional: “Part of the issue is whether or not these organizations commit the resources necessary to extinguish these violent practices.”

The fact that someone “agreed” to participate does not excuse conduct that puts lives at risk. Real accountability means looking past the people in the room to the systems that allow hazing to continue and asking who knew, who could have stopped it, and why they didn’t.

We’re proud of Doug’s continued advocacy for victims, survivors, and their families. This is the kind of work that pushes fraternities, universities, and institutions toward lasting change.

A Secret Service agent is now one of three men facing charges in connection with a brutal days-long college hazing ritual that nearly ended in two people being killed. NBC6’s Christian Colón reports

08/20/2026

Virginia Commonwealth University has suspended a VCU fraternity chapter following allegations involving student conduct, prompting renewed questions about fraternity culture, student safety, and the responsibility of universities and Greek organizations to prevent dangerous behavior.

For families who have experienced the devastating consequences of fraternity hazing, these allegations are not just another campus headline.

Our firm knows this issue firsthand.

The Fierberg National Law Group represented the family of Adam Oakes, a 19-year-old VCU freshman who died following a fraternity hazing ritual in 2021. Adam’s death became a catalyst for change at VCU and across Virginia, helping lead to Adam’s Law, legislation aimed at strengthening hazing prevention, education, and accountability.

Adam’s family turned their grief into action. We were honored to stand beside them in seeking accountability and meaningful reforms so that other families would not have to experience the same loss.

Today, when a VCU fraternity faces suspension following allegations, it is important to remember why strong prevention and accountability measures matter. A university suspension may be an important step, but students and families deserve to know that allegations of dangerous conduct are taken seriously and thoroughly addressed.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) suspended a fraternity for four years after the student organization was found responsible for hazing and assault.

08/05/2026

It takes extraordinary courage to come forward after years of carrying the weight of childhood s*xual abuse.

Our client shared his story with Local 4, describing how he says he reported abuse while attending Interlochen—and felt ignored. By speaking out, he hopes to help ensure that no child is dismissed when they ask for help and that institutions are held accountable for failing to protect those in their care.

Attorneys Doug Fierberg and Rachael Denhollander of The Fierberg National Law Group are honored to represent our client and others seeking truth, accountability, and justice.

If you have questions about your legal rights related to abuse at Interlochen or another institution, our attorneys are available to listen. Every consultation is confidential, and there is no obligation to move forward.

Sometimes the first step is simply getting answers.

A 97-page report released Tuesday details decades of alleged s*xual misconduct at Interlochen Center for the Arts, a boarding school located south of Traverse City, with incidents spanning from the 1950s through the 2010s and a reference to Jeffrey Epstein, who attended in the 1960s and later became...

07/31/2026

The Washington Supreme Court has ruled in the case involving Sam Martinez, a 19-year-old Washington State University student who tragically died from acute alcohol poisoning following an alleged fraternity hazing ritual.

The ruling is an important step toward answering a critical question: When a university recognizes and works with a fraternity, what responsibility does it have to protect students from foreseeable dangers associated with that organization?

Our attorney, Jonathon Fazzola, represents Sam’s family in their fight for accountability and justice.

For Sam’s parents, this case is about more than a legal ruling. It is about honoring their son’s life and seeking answers about what happened—and why.

Hazing is not a tradition. It is not harmless. And when dangerous conduct results in a student’s death, families deserve answers and accountability.

The Washington Supreme Court determined that WSU owed a "duty of care" to Sam Martinez, a 19-year-old who died of hazing-related alcohol poisoning in 2019.

07/29/2026

The New York Times’ reporting on Jeffrey Epstein’s connection to Interlochen, together with the newly released investigation into decades of alleged s*xual abuse at the institution, raises deeply troubling questions about how vulnerable students were treated, protected—or failed—over the years.

For survivors, coming forward can take years, sometimes decades. It takes courage to confront not only the person who caused the harm, but sometimes the institutions, systems, and cultures that failed to protect them.

The Fierberg National Law Group is located here in Northern Michigan, just a short distance from Interlochen, and our commitment to survivors extends far beyond Michigan. We represent survivors of s*xual abuse and s*xual assault nationwide, including cases involving schools, universities, camps, youth organizations, and other institutions entrusted with the safety of children and young people.

We believe survivors deserve to be heard. They deserve answers. And when institutions fail to protect those in their care, they deserve accountability.

If you or someone you love experienced s*xual abuse in an institutional setting, you are not alone—and it is not your fault.

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A law firm hired by Interlochen, the arts school and camp, to look into alumni complaints of s*xual abuse fielded dozens of disturbing accounts, primarily from decades ago.

07/28/2026

A recent criminal case out of Florida serves as another sobering reminder that hazing is not "tradition"—it can be life-threatening.

According to authorities, multiple individuals, including a U.S. Secret Service agent serving as a fraternity pledge leader, have been charged in connection with an alleged hazing incident that left two young men hospitalized with catastrophic injuries. Prosecutors allege the victims endured repeated beatings over several days, resulting in injuries so severe they required extensive emergency medical treatment.

At The Fierberg National Law Group, we have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of violent hazing. Too often, organizations excuse abuse as a rite of passage, while institutions fail to intervene until someone's life is permanently changed—or lost.

Hazing is not leadership. It is not brotherhood. It is not tradition.

It is abuse. 😡

No one should have to risk their life to belong.

StopHazing HazingPrevention.Org

A college fraternity member was paddled so severely during hazing rituals that he suffered kidney damage and nearly died.

07/24/2026

Reports that the Michigan State Police are investigating an alleged assault at a Gull Lake High School football camp are deeply concerning. Our thoughts are with every student, family, and community member affected as authorities work to determine exactly what happened.

No child should have to fear being harmed while participating in school-sponsored athletics or extracurricular activities. Schools and youth sports programs have a responsibility to provide a safe environment, respond appropriately to reports of misconduct, and take reasonable steps to protect students from foreseeable harm.

At The Fierberg National Law Group, we represent victims and families nationwide in cases involving school violence, hazing, s*xual assault, and institutional negligence. We know that accountability is about more than one incident—it is about ensuring schools and organizations prioritize student safety over protecting reputations.

If your child has been injured, assaulted, or subjected to hazing or abuse at school or during a school-sponsored activity, you are not alone. Every family deserves answers, accountability, and an advocate willing to fight for meaningful change.

An alleged assault during a Gull Lake Community Schools football camp is being investigated by Michigan State Police.

07/10/2026

For survivors of childhood s*xual abuse, coming forward is an act of extraordinary courage. Every survivor deserves to be heard, treated with dignity, and supported in their pursuit of justice.

The Fierberg National Law Group has filed a lawsuit in Milwaukee County on behalf of a survivor alleging s*xual abuse at St. Matthias Parish School. We represent survivors and families across the country in cases involving s*xual abuse and institutional misconduct, working to hold schools, churches, youth organizations, and other institutions accountable when they fail to protect those entrusted to their care.

Our commitment extends beyond any single case. We stand with survivors nationwide in the pursuit of truth, accountability, and meaningful change to help protect future generations.

A Wisconsin woman alleges the Catholic Church did not investigate reports a fourth-grade teacher was s*xually abusing students and allowed him to keep tutoring.