Danielle Young Canepa

Attorney

dcanepa@pittlawpc.com

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Experience

Danielle Canepa represents plaintiffs in employment and civil rights claims, including claims for retaliation, discrimination, and sexual harassment. She devotes a substantial part of her practice to representing survivors of sexual assault. Danielle works closely with every client to tell their story, navigate the legal process, and find resolution. 

Danielle's representative work includes:

• advising and representing women subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace

• representing parents and whistleblowers in cases involving abuse of children with autism

• a Title IX sexual assault case in partnership with co-counsel against a major university on behalf of over 30 clients

• retaliation claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for clients who were fired after taking leave for themselves or a family member

• defending clients against SLAPP suits in retaliation for reporting sexual assault or speaking on matters of public importance

Danielle joined the firm after clerking for the Honorable Laurie J. Michelson in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and for the Honorable Robert Pitman in the Western District of Texas, as well as for two federal magistrate judges in Texas, the Honorable Andrew Austin and the Honorable Susan Hightower. Before clerking, Danielle was a litigation associate at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, D.C. As a law student, Danielle served as a legal intern with the ACLU of Michigan in Detroit, the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. She graduated from Harvard Law School cum laude and received an award for providing over a thousand hours of pro bono service during law school.

Danielle is an active member of several legal organizations and has presented on legal practice topics at Wayne State University Law School and the University of Texas Law School.  She has also served on a number of committees for her alma mater, Mercy High School. Danielle spends her free time with her husband and family, outdoors and up north as much as possible.

Education 

• Harvard Law School, cum laude, J.D.

  • Public Service Award for over 1,000 hours of pro bono service

• City University, University of London, Graduate Diploma in Law, with honors

• Sarah Lawrence College, summa cum laude, B.A. in Politics and Philosophy

Bar Admissions 

• All state and federal courts in Michigan

• District of Columbia

• U.S. District Court of the Western District of Texas
    

Practice Areas

• Employment

• Civil Rights

• Sexual harassment and sexual assault

Professional Involvement & Advocacy

• Michigan Association for Justice – Member

• National Employment Lawyers Association – Member

• Testified before Michigan House Criminal Justice Committee

• Diversity Committee, Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Michigan – Previous Member

• Mercy High School, Council on Racial Equity – Previous Member