Even as a young lawyer, Janelle M. Ryan-Colbert wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

“Early in my career, I represented a father in a highly contested child custody case,” the founder of the Colbert Law Firm recalled in a November 2019 article in Black Enterprise. “He came to my office desperate, anxious, and felt that he had nowhere to turn and no one willing to fight for him.”

Nevertheless, this man quickly convinced her of two things. First, he really wanted to cultivate a meaningful, ongoing relationship with his son. And secondly, there was no reason why he shouldn’t have been able to do so. Based on that, Ms. Ryan-Colbert not only took the case – she won it. As a result, he was awarded full custody of his son.

Ms. Ryan-Colbert is also active in several regional and national Bar Associations. These include but are not limited to the Maryland State Bar Association, District of Columbia Bar Association, American Bar Association, Washington Bar Association and J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association. She is member of the Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence (MPME) and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), and serves as an Attorney Advocate for Civil Justice Inc., and Prince George’s County Community Legal Services, Inc. (CLS).

Ms. Ryan-Colbert is a national speaker and contributor to various platforms and on a myriad of legal issues. She also prides herself on serving the community by offering seminars and doing volunteer work with a host of legal and civic organizations.

To schedule a consultation with Ms. Ryan-Colbert, see our contact page.