Maria Olsen
N/A
Licensed for 33 years
Law Degree
Awards
Primary Practice Area
Employment & Labor
Language
English
About
Maria Leonard Olsen graduated magna cum laude from Boston College (Bachelor of Science in Business Management, 1985) and the University of Virginia School of Law (Juris Doctor, 1988). Upon graduation from law school, she worked as a commercial litigator at Dow Lohnes, which was then one of the largest law firms in Washington, D.C. In 1992, she was appointed by President Clinton as Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she served until 1995. During her time there, she was honored by Attorney General Janet Reno as the highest-ranking Asian American political appointee at the Justice Department. From 1995 to 1997, Ms. Olsen served as the Pro Bono Program Manager for the Justice Department’s Pro Bono Program in the Office of Policy Development. After her second child was born in 1997, she continued to do pro bono legal work for the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project and the East Coast Migrant Head Start Program, and to work as a freelance journalist, as well as an editor and writer at Bethesda Magazine.Ms. Olsen joined The Pels Law Firm in 2014, as a general litigator handling construction, corporate, tax and other litigation matters. She is an author of several children’s books and adult non-fiction books, and hosts/produces a live radio show on WPFW fm 89.3 that focuses on diversity issues. Ms. Olsen has been a foster mother for eight newborn babies awaiting adoption, and has served on the Board of Visitors for the National Children’s Medical Center, and the boards of the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Washington, the Catholic Coalition for Special Education, the Pastoral Council for the Shrine of the Most Holy Blessed Sacrament, the Nepal Youth Fund and on the Advisory Board for Girls Up, an empowerment organization for middle school-aged girls.Ms. Olsen is the recipient of the D.C. Bar’s Pro Bono Coordinator of the Year Award for 1991. She is a member of the Bars of the District of Columbia, Maryland, the United States Circuit Court for the D.C. Circuit, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and the United States Tax Court.
Practices Areas
Litigation
Employment and labor
Language
English
Contact
Reviews
I have worked with Maria Olsen on several cases now. I have consistently been impressed with her intelligence and how well she expresses her thoughts while constructing petitions, and briefs. Her level of clarity, to be concise, and ability to articulate a persuasive argument is superior to most other attorneys that consult with me.
Ms. Olsen was everything I had hoped my former "high priced" attorneys would have been. In addition to being an honest, kind-hearted and decent person, Ms. Olsen is an impassioned and gifted orator who's Courtroom presence dwarfed opposing counsel. She took my case to heart and was incredibly prepared for trial. She really turned the tides in my favor where my previous attorneys had failed. Don't be fooled by her warm demeanor and likable personality, Ms. Olsen easily overpowers opposition in the Courtroom and is incredibly fast on her feet.
I worked with Ms. Leonard Olsen on a matter concerning my professional board and was very pleased with the results. She was highly competent and tireless in working for me. She is very steady, intelligent and a joy to work with. She was always on time, easy to get in touch with and delivered. I highly recommend her as an attorney!
Maria, thank you for all of the legal help you have provided to me and a few of my friends. Your work is exceptional. You care about the clients and research their issues and you get results. You are a brilliant attorney and I cannot thank you enough.
Maria Olsen got me results! Maria was referred to me by a friend to see if she could help me with a problem client. Maria listened to my problem, asked me questions and heard me when I said I wanted to get results but I did not want to go to court if possible. Once Maria accepted to work on my case, she was on it! Maria was very pro-active with me, making sure that I provided her with he documentation and information she needed to best serve me, and she acted quickly and responded back to me within hours of any questions I had. Maria communicated clearly with me and gave me the information I needed to make decisions on what actions I wanted to take. In the end, Maria sent a letter to the client and they agreed to settle. I had a very positive experience in working with Maria and would recommend her.
I recommend Maria Olsen as an attorney. I utilized her for a legal issue in 2016. Maria was knowledgeable, professional and caring. She always responded to my inquiries or concerns in a timely manner and her fees were extremely reasonable. It was comforting to know I had Maria on my side.
Maria assisted me with some contractual matters. She has sound, helpful advice and is an excellent editor.
We hired Maria Olsen to draw up our will and consulted her on a contract to buy into a business venture and tax implications.
I have worked with Maria Olsen on several cases now. I have consistently been impressed with her intelligence and how well she expresses her thoughts while constructing petitions, and briefs. Her level of clarity, to be concise, and ability to articulate a persuasive argument is superior to most other attorneys that consult with me.
Ms. Olsen was everything I had hoped my former "high priced" attorneys would have been. In addition to being an honest, kind-hearted and decent person, Ms. Olsen is an impassioned and gifted orator who's Courtroom presence dwarfed opposing counsel. She took my case to heart and was incredibly prepared for trial. She really turned the tides in my favor where my previous attorneys had failed. Don't be fooled by her warm demeanor and likable personality, Ms. Olsen easily overpowers opposition in the Courtroom and is incredibly fast on her feet.
I worked with Ms. Leonard Olsen on a matter concerning my professional board and was very pleased with the results. She was highly competent and tireless in working for me. She is very steady, intelligent and a joy to work with. She was always on time, easy to get in touch with and delivered. I highly recommend her as an attorney!
Maria, thank you for all of the legal help you have provided to me and a few of my friends. Your work is exceptional. You care about the clients and research their issues and you get results. You are a brilliant attorney and I cannot thank you enough.
Maria Olsen got me results! Maria was referred to me by a friend to see if she could help me with a problem client. Maria listened to my problem, asked me questions and heard me when I said I wanted to get results but I did not want to go to court if possible. Once Maria accepted to work on my case, she was on it! Maria was very pro-active with me, making sure that I provided her with he documentation and information she needed to best serve me, and she acted quickly and responded back to me within hours of any questions I had. Maria communicated clearly with me and gave me the information I needed to make decisions on what actions I wanted to take. In the end, Maria sent a letter to the client and they agreed to settle. I had a very positive experience in working with Maria and would recommend her.
I recommend Maria Olsen as an attorney. I utilized her for a legal issue in 2016. Maria was knowledgeable, professional and caring. She always responded to my inquiries or concerns in a timely manner and her fees were extremely reasonable. It was comforting to know I had Maria on my side.
Maria assisted me with some contractual matters. She has sound, helpful advice and is an excellent editor.
We hired Maria Olsen to draw up our will and consulted her on a contract to buy into a business venture and tax implications.
I have worked with Maria Olsen on several cases now. I have consistently been impressed with her intelligence and how well she expresses her thoughts while constructing petitions, and briefs. Her level of clarity, to be concise, and ability to articulate a persuasive argument is superior to most other attorneys that consult with me.
Ms. Olsen was everything I had hoped my former "high priced" attorneys would have been. In addition to being an honest, kind-hearted and decent person, Ms. Olsen is an impassioned and gifted orator who's Courtroom presence dwarfed opposing counsel. She took my case to heart and was incredibly prepared for trial. She really turned the tides in my favor where my previous attorneys had failed. Don't be fooled by her warm demeanor and likable personality, Ms. Olsen easily overpowers opposition in the Courtroom and is incredibly fast on her feet.
I worked with Ms. Leonard Olsen on a matter concerning my professional board and was very pleased with the results. She was highly competent and tireless in working for me. She is very steady, intelligent and a joy to work with. She was always on time, easy to get in touch with and delivered. I highly recommend her as an attorney!
Maria, thank you for all of the legal help you have provided to me and a few of my friends. Your work is exceptional. You care about the clients and research their issues and you get results. You are a brilliant attorney and I cannot thank you enough.
Maria Olsen got me results! Maria was referred to me by a friend to see if she could help me with a problem client. Maria listened to my problem, asked me questions and heard me when I said I wanted to get results but I did not want to go to court if possible. Once Maria accepted to work on my case, she was on it! Maria was very pro-active with me, making sure that I provided her with he documentation and information she needed to best serve me, and she acted quickly and responded back to me within hours of any questions I had. Maria communicated clearly with me and gave me the information I needed to make decisions on what actions I wanted to take. In the end, Maria sent a letter to the client and they agreed to settle. I had a very positive experience in working with Maria and would recommend her.
I recommend Maria Olsen as an attorney. I utilized her for a legal issue in 2016. Maria was knowledgeable, professional and caring. She always responded to my inquiries or concerns in a timely manner and her fees were extremely reasonable. It was comforting to know I had Maria on my side.
Maria assisted me with some contractual matters. She has sound, helpful advice and is an excellent editor.
We hired Maria Olsen to draw up our will and consulted her on a contract to buy into a business venture and tax implications.
I have worked with Maria Olsen on several cases now. I have consistently been impressed with her intelligence and how well she expresses her thoughts while constructing petitions, and briefs. Her level of clarity, to be concise, and ability to articulate a persuasive argument is superior to most other attorneys that consult with me.
Ms. Olsen was everything I had hoped my former "high priced" attorneys would have been. In addition to being an honest, kind-hearted and decent person, Ms. Olsen is an impassioned and gifted orator who's Courtroom presence dwarfed opposing counsel. She took my case to heart and was incredibly prepared for trial. She really turned the tides in my favor where my previous attorneys had failed. Don't be fooled by her warm demeanor and likable personality, Ms. Olsen easily overpowers opposition in the Courtroom and is incredibly fast on her feet.
I worked with Ms. Leonard Olsen on a matter concerning my professional board and was very pleased with the results. She was highly competent and tireless in working for me. She is very steady, intelligent and a joy to work with. She was always on time, easy to get in touch with and delivered. I highly recommend her as an attorney!
Maria, thank you for all of the legal help you have provided to me and a few of my friends. Your work is exceptional. You care about the clients and research their issues and you get results. You are a brilliant attorney and I cannot thank you enough.
Maria Olsen got me results! Maria was referred to me by a friend to see if she could help me with a problem client. Maria listened to my problem, asked me questions and heard me when I said I wanted to get results but I did not want to go to court if possible. Once Maria accepted to work on my case, she was on it! Maria was very pro-active with me, making sure that I provided her with he documentation and information she needed to best serve me, and she acted quickly and responded back to me within hours of any questions I had. Maria communicated clearly with me and gave me the information I needed to make decisions on what actions I wanted to take. In the end, Maria sent a letter to the client and they agreed to settle. I had a very positive experience in working with Maria and would recommend her.
I recommend Maria Olsen as an attorney. I utilized her for a legal issue in 2016. Maria was knowledgeable, professional and caring. She always responded to my inquiries or concerns in a timely manner and her fees were extremely reasonable. It was comforting to know I had Maria on my side.
Maria assisted me with some contractual matters. She has sound, helpful advice and is an excellent editor.
We hired Maria Olsen to draw up our will and consulted her on a contract to buy into a business venture and tax implications.