Once I decide to become a whistleblower, should I file a lawsuit?

Maybe yes, maybe no. No one can completely answer this question for you. A lawyer can give you advice about whether you have a claim that can be addressed under the law.  The lawyer may be able to suggest ways to protect your job, even without a lawsuit.  Or, a lawsuit may offer you potential for a substantial damages award.

Ultimately, while a lawyer can provide you with advice and information, only you can decide whether to pursue a lawsuit. You are in the best situation to determine whether it is what you need to do.  Ask yourself whether your family and friends will support you.  Realistically assess whether you or your family can financially afford the negative repercussions, including loss of your job or your ability to continue your chosen career, all of which could occur.

Before you decide to go forward with legal action, you need to make sure that what is occurring is really serious or illegal. Often, individuals who were treated unfairly at work or who were passed over for advancement to positions for which they are qualified lose some of their objectivity. It becomes difficult to separate the pain of the what occurred in the past from the current events. And, sympathetic friends and family may not be the most objective advisors in such a situation. Ask yourself—what is the worst thing that will happen if this wrongdoing continues? If the wrongdoing is not likely to cause serious harm to the Government or others, whether physically or financially, make sure that the issues are otherwise worth fighting about and risking your job, your financial security, and maybe even your emotional health.

Being a whistleblower and filing lawsuits can be very difficult endeavors and should not be pursued without planning, preparation, and having a fight worth fighting. Prolonged battles over "principle" that has no lasting effects, other than to try to prove that you were right and someone else was wrong, are not a good idea. If your battle is about "the principle of the matter," you need to declare a winner (you) and a loser (them) and move forward in your life.