KIRSTEN
SCHEURER BRANIGAN

Managing Partner
Kirsten.Branigan@ksbraniganlaw.com

Attorney-at-Law
Investigator
Arbitrator
Mediator
Trainer

EXPERIENCE

Kirsten has exclusively practiced employment law for 30 years. She is an experienced neutral, serving as an arbitrator, mediator, trainer, and investigator. She also has experience in legal academia and is a recognized leader and champion for the advancement and retention of women and underrepresented lawyers.

For the past 18 years, Kirsten has served as an employment arbitrator and mediator on a broad array of employment matters, including complex and multi-party matters. She serves on the Employment Arbitration Panel and the Mediation Panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA). She mediates cases pending in courts, in arbitration forums, as well as pre-litigation matters, such as workplace mediations.

Kirsten oversees the firm’s workplace investigation practice area. She has experience with high stakes and C-suite investigations, conducting investigation training, and testifying as an expert witness on the efficacy of workplace  investigations. She developed the firm’s decades-in-the-making signature investigation training workshop, entitled HR on Trial: Preparing HR as a Litigation Witness & Conducting Effective Workplace Investigations to help organizations educate their internal teams on successful investigation approaches and effective investigation practices and protocols. Kirsten provided testimony during a September 2019 public hearing on sexual harassment by the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) and the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA), from which a February 2020 Report resulted in the groundbreaking publication of investigation best practices in New Jersey.

Kirsten manages complex equal pay audits, DEI audits, and culture assessments. She is a seasoned trainer with decades of experience in conducting employment training and coaching.

Kirsten is passionate about working with law firms on efforts to advance and retain women and underrepresented lawyers, foster positive environments, build inclusive cultures where attorneys and legal staff have a strong sense of belonging, mitigate bias, and prioritize well-being.

Not only are these concerns critical to the firm’s mission, but she has been a pioneer in the area. She helped to launch the only two NJ-specific studies on women in the law including a first-of-its-kind study focused on solutions to the advancement and retention challenges faced by women in the New Jersey legal profession through the International Human Rights Clinic, Rutgers Law School-Newark. In 2006, she led efforts to revitalize the then-defunct New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (NJWLA), an organization that currently has thousands of members. She served as NJWLA President from 2006-2008 and continues to serve on its Board of Directors as Co-Chair of the Reproductive Rights Committee. She helped create the inaugural Women’s Initiative & Leaders in Law (WILL) Gala, now a major annual event attended by hundreds and at which the Kirsten Scheurer Branigan Presidential Award created in her name is bestowed by NJWLA.

Kirsten is also an advocate for improved management and visibility about the growing mental health crisis in the legal profession. In 2021, Kirsten was appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court to the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program, where she focused on efforts to remove stigmas associated with mental health and substance use and encourage lawyers to seek treatment.

Prior to launching the firm, Kirsten was an employment litigator at a large New Jersey firm. She also received a gubernatorial appointment to serve as a Commissioner with the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC), a seven-member, quasi-judicial administrative agency charged with administrating public sector labor issues, unfair practices, mediation, fact-finding, and arbitration.

AAA Panels/ADR Roles

• Arbitrator, Employment Panel, American Arbitration Association (2007-present)
• Mediator, Mediation Panel, American Arbitration Association (2013-present)
• New Jersey Court Civil Roster of Mediators (2008-present)

Academic Roles

• Faculty, Rutgers Law School, Newark, International Human Rights Clinic (Spring 2023)
• External Advisor, Princeton University’s Title IX/Sexual Misconduct Grievance Program (September 2022-Present)

Leadership Roles

• New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program, Past President, Board of Trustees member (2021-present)

• New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (NJWLA), Past President (2006-2008), Board of Trustees (2006-present), Co-Chair of Reproductive Rights Committee (2022-present)

• Diversity Committee of the NJSBA Labor & Employment Executive Board (2024-present)

• Workplace Investigation Committee of the NJSBA Labor & Employment Executive Board (2018-2024)

Recognitions & Associations

• National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF), Investigation Practice Committee and Labor and Employment Practice Area Committee (2023-present); Cross-Marketing Committee (2024)
• Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, committed to professionalism and civility, and excellence in the practice of employment law (2016-present)
• Powerful Women of NJ 2023

• New Jersey Super Lawyers, Alternative Dispute Resolution (2020-present)*

• Rated AV Preeminent through Martindale Hubbell**

• New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Women in the Courts (2014-2018)

• New Jersey Council on Diversity and Inclusion Transition Committee (gubernatorial appointment) (2017)

• Women’s Initiative and Leaders in the Law (WILL) Platinum Award, New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (2016)

• Commissioner, Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) (gubernatorial appointment) (2007-2009)

• Alice Paul Equality Award, Alice Paul Institute (2008)

• Kirsten Scheurer Branigan Presidential Leadership Award (created in her name by NJWLA) (2008)

• NJ BIZ, Mover & Shaker in the Legal Industry and 40 Under Forty Award (2008)

• Professional Lawyer of the Year Award, New Jersey Commission on Professionalism (2006)

BAR ADMISSIONS & EDUCATION

Admitted to Practice

• State of New Jersey (1995)

• United States District Court, District of New Jersey (1996)

• United States Supreme Court (2019)

• New York (2025)

Education

• Rutgers Law School, Rutgers University, Newark, J.D. (Minority Student Program, Alumna) (1995)

• Rutgers University, New Brunswick, B.A. with High Honors (Henry Rutgers Scholar) (1992)

• Saint Dominic Academy, Jersey City (1988)

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS & PUBLICATIONS

Kirsten speaks and publishes on a variety of topics, including those on the below-provided sampling. She speaks both locally and nationally, including with the American Bar Association, National Association of Minority and Women Owned, and the Practising Law Institute.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

• • Best Practices and Tips for Resolving Employment Law Cases, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Panelist (Virtual, November 1, 2024)
  • Best Practices for a Successful Employment Arbitration, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Moderator (Virtual, September 30, 2024)
  • Employment Webinar for Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association, Panelist (Virtual, March 6, 2023)
  • Employment Arbitration Update for AAA Employment Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association, Panelist (Virtual, September 13, 2022)
  • “New Jersey Supreme Court Approves Electronic Acceptances in Employment Arbitration Agreements,” New Jersey Law Journal (October 2020)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

• • Are DEI Programs DOA in a Post-Harvard Landscape?, NAMWOLF 2024 Annual Meeting, Moderator, (Atlanta, September 17, 2024)
  • DEI in Review: Navigating Course in a Changing Legal Landscape, State of New Jersey Diversity Summit, Panelist, (New Brunswick, October 10, 2024)
  • Building and Expanding the Pipeline in a Post SSFA v. Harvard/UNC World, 2024 NJSBA Diversity Summit, Panelist (New Brunswick, January 25, 2024)
  • How to Create an Inclusive (and Diverse) Environment in Your Hybrid Law Office, Practising Law Institute, Speaker (NYC, May 12, 2023)

Equal Pay Audits & Culture Assessments

• • Workplace Investigations and Culture Assessments, Association of Corporate Counsel, Speaker (Virtual, April 3, 2024)
  • Pay Equity & Wage Transparency Laws & Tools, New Jersey Women Lawyers Association, Panelist (Virtual, April 20, 2023)
  • “A ‘Lookback’ on New Jersey’s Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act and the Road Ahead,” New Jersey Labor & Employment Law Quarterly (December 2021) (co-author)
  • “The Growing Legacy of New Jersey’s Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act,” New Jersey Law Journal (March 2021) (co-author)
  • “Equal Pay Audits: Essential Action in Light of New Jersey’s Expanded Protections,” New Jersey Law Journal (May 2019); NJSBA Labor & Employment Law Quarterly (September 2019) (co-author)

Wellness & Well-Being

• • “Tackling the Mental Health Crisis in the Legal Profession,” New Jersey Lawyer Magazine (February 2024)
  • What Helped You When You Fell Apart? Lessons From Leaders in Law on Wellness, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Speaker (New Brunswick, February 19, 2024)
  • Understanding the Impact of Racial Trauma: Supporting the Mental Health of Minority Attorneys, New Jersey State Bar Association Convention, Panelist (Atlantic City, May 18, 2023)
  • Mindfulness & Well-Being, New Jersey Women Lawyers Association, Speaker (Virtual, April 21, 2023)
  • NJWLA Agenda for Why Embracing Self-Care is the Best Way to Avoid Professionalism & Ethics Pitfalls, New Jersey Women Lawyers Association, Panelist (Virtual, December 2021)

Women in Law

• • Co-Founder of The Gender Equity Project, New Jersey Women in Law Study, through Rutgers Law School, Newark, International Human Rights Clinic, Spring 2023
  • Leadership Hacks, Global Women in the Law ACC Foundation, Speaker (Virtual, June 3, 2024)
  • “Rutgers Law School Launches Study to Advance Women in Law,” New Jersey Law Journal (October 20, 2023) (co-author)
  • “The Carousel Awaits: One Woman Lawyer’s Success Journey in Law and Family,” Diversity & Inclusion in Law Practice, Practising Law Institute (May 2023)
  • Contributor, August 2022, the Rutgers University Center for Women and Work (CWW) Report “Women In Private Law Firms: Slow Progress on Equality of Promotion and Compensation”
  • Out of Sight, Out of Mind and Other Pitfalls for Women Who Work Remotely, New Jersey State Bar Association Convention, Panelist (Atlantic City, May 18, 2023)
  • Roadblocks to Equality for Women Lawyers: Navigating Advancement, Compensation and Retention Concerns, New Jersey State Bar Association Women in the Profession Section, Moderator (New Brunswick/Virtual, November 17, 2022)
  • Founding Partner, 2009 Legal Talent at the Crossroads Study: Why New Jersey Women Lawyers Leave Their Firms, and Why They Choose to Stay, by the Rutgers CWW and the New Jersey Gender Parity Council (April 2009)

Workplace Investigations

• • Legal Updates & Practice Tips for Conducting Effective Employment Investigations, Association of Corporate Counsel, Speaker (Virtual, February 1, 2024)
  • Workplace Investigations: 2024 Legal Updates and Trends, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Speaker (Virtual, January 17, 2024)
  • “Updated Government Guidelines Cover Confidentiality and Ensuring Prompt, Thorough and Impartial Workplace Investigations,” New Jersey Lawyer (December 2023)
  • Workplace Investigations: Understanding Micro-Aggressions and Implicit Bias, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Panelist, (Virtual, January 27, 2023)
  • Advanced Workplace Investigation Issues in Sexual Harassment Cases, American Bar Association, 4th Annual Labor & Employment Conference (Virtual, November 2020)
  • “Conducting Effective Independent Workplace Investigations Post #MeToo,” Dispute Resolution Journal (September 2019) (co-author)
  • Advanced Investigations: What Am I Missing?, American Bar Association 8th Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference, Panelist (Los Angeles, November 2014)
  • Workplace Investigations: Getting to the Bottom of Complex Matters without Falling into a Trap, American Bar Association 7th Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference, Panelist (New Orleans, November 2013)
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