Employees

GOP senator informs BigLaw firms how to advise clients on race-based hiring

Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has dispatched a letter to 51 BigLaw firms advising them to warn their clients of the risks of “race-based hiring quotas and benchmarks.”

Jul 20, 2023 1:05 PM CDT

Companies must end racial preferences or face accountability ‘sooner rather than later,’ 13 state AGs say

Attorneys general from 13 states are warning Fortune 100 companies that a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down race-conscious admissions programs at universities also implicates corporate diversity programs.

Jul 18, 2023 8:11 AM CDT

Employers not liable for spread of COVID-19 to workers’ homes, California high court says

Employers are not responsible for the spread of COVID-19 from their employees to their employees’ family members, according to a ruling from the California Supreme Court.

Jul 7, 2023 9:55 AM CDT

Company’s religious liberty trumps Title VII ban on discrimination against LGBTQ employees, appeals court says

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act entitles a Texas company to an exemption from a federal mandate that bars discrimination against LGBTQ employees, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jun 22, 2023 3:03 PM CDT

Misogynistic rap music in workplace can constitute sex discrimination, 9th Circuit says

Sexually derogatory and violent rap music played in the workplace can foster a hostile work environment that constitutes sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jun 13, 2023 9:23 AM CDT

Jackson is lone dissenter as Supreme Court allows company to sue union in state court

The U.S. Supreme Court’s newest justice was the only dissenter Thursday, when the high court allowed a concrete company to sue a union local in state court for alleged destruction of corporate property.

Jun 1, 2023 12:15 PM CDT

BigLaw firm lays off 47 business services employees

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has laid off 34 employees across its U.S. offices and another 13 employees overseas, the law firm announced Thursday.

May 25, 2023 10:12 AM CDT

Suit accuses Rudy Giuliani of sexually assaulting employee, promising—but not paying—$1M salary

Lawyer Rudy Giuliani offered $1 million in annual pay to a woman he hired as the director of business development for his companies in 2019, but it was “a sham motivated by his secret desire to pursue a sexual relationship,” according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

May 16, 2023 12:24 PM CDT

55 lawyers among 5% of global workforce being laid off at this BigLaw firm

Dechert laid off 55 lawyers and 43 business professionals Tuesday, as the law firm began implementing cuts to “align our staffing levels with demand.”

May 10, 2023 9:33 AM CDT

Creating circuit split, 9th Circuit rules Biden had power to require vaccines for federal contractors

President Joe Biden had the authority to issue an executive order requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for employees of federal contractors, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Apr 26, 2023 1:43 PM CDT

For 2022 law grads, bar-pass-required jobs increase, while JD-advantage positions decrease

For the second year in a row, there is an increase in jobs for new lawyers, according to data released Tuesday by the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Apr 25, 2023 12:12 PM CDT

National Labor Relations Board outlines penalties for cases involving ‘repeated or serious misconduct’

The U.S. National Labor Relations Board has outlined penalties for employers who repeatedly or egregiously violate federal labor law.

Apr 21, 2023 11:23 AM CDT

Supreme Court considers how far employers should go for religious accommodation

In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has shown great deference to claims of religious discrimination, and in particular, three justices have suggested that Trans World Airlines Inc. v. Hardison—a 1977 case in which the Supreme Court ruled against an employee seeking a religious accommodation to avoid working on Saturdays, his Sabbath—was wrongly decided.

Apr 13, 2023 10:31 AM CDT

Firms are helping employers navigate post-Dobbs health benefits and abortion coverage

With dozens of state legislatures holding their first sessions of the post-Roe v. Wade era, some firms are proactively counseling clients on the highly complex, politically charged and quickly shifting landscape surrounding employee benefits and abortion laws. In doing so, attorneys have to consider real and hypothetical civil and criminal liabilities.

Apr 1, 2023 1:40 AM CDT

Lateral hiring dropped last year, fueled by decline in associate market, NALP report says

Lateral hiring decreased by 11.5% in 2022 as a result of cooling in the market for lateral associates, according to a report by the National Association for Law Placement.

Mar 22, 2023 3:38 PM CDT