Ryan M. Schmitz

Ryan M. Schmitz is a Civil Rights Lawyer and attorney at Johnson, Webbert & Beard, LLP in Portland and Topsham, Maine. He enforces workers’ rights and other civil rights through investigations, agency proceedings, trials, and appeals. His practice includes employment discrimination, disability discrimination, workplace retaliation, and other claims involving unequal treatment. He represents clients through complex litigation while pursuing accountability, compensation, and meaningful protection of their legal rights.

Ryan graduated from Boston College in 2015 and earned Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll recognition. He received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019. He served on the Georgetown Law Journal and became executive editor of the Annual Review of Criminal Procedure. His education strengthened his legal research, writing, case analysis, and appellate advocacy skills. He gained admission to the Maine Bar in 2019.

Ryan served for one year as a law fellow with Disability Rights Maine after completing law school. He focused on employment, housing, and public accommodation discrimination involving people with substance use disorders. He later clerked for Associate Justice Andrew M. Horton of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. His civil rights work includes serving as co-counsel in Ako-Annan v. Eastern Maine Medical Center. In 2022, his legal team secured a $3 million jury verdict in that race discrimination case.

Ryan M. Schmitz has successfully negotiated settlements worth millions of dollars for clients facing workers’ rights and civil rights violations. He published a 2021 Maine Law Review article examining disability protections for people recovering from substance use disorders. His litigation experience spans every stage, from factual investigation through agency review, trial proceedings, and appeals. He combines detailed preparation, persuasive advocacy, and practical guidance when helping clients challenge discrimination and protect their rights.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Johnson, Webbert & Beard, LLP
• Member, Maine State Bar Association
• Staff Member, Georgetown Law Journal
• Executive Editor, Annual Review of Criminal Procedure
• Clerked, Associate Justice Andrew M. Horton of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court

Licensed State

• Maine

Education

• Georgetown University Law Center
  Juris Doctor (JD)
  
• Boston College
  Bachelor Degree
  

Awards & Badges