Labor & Employment

Law Firm Lesson Not Learned in Law School

To Anthony Ciolli, not censoring the AutoAdmit Web site he worked on was a First Amendment issue, even though he reportedly admitted that sexist, racist and just plain rude comments posted there could sometimes be offensive. But it has also recently become an employment issue for the 23-year-old third-year law…

May 4, 2007 12:19 AM CDT

Goodling Targeted re Possible Hiring Law Violation

A former top aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales reportedly is being investigated to see whether she hired career lawyers at the Justice Department based on their party affiliation. Officials announced today that Monica Goodling, a former senior counselor and White House liaison for Gonzales, is under investigation for allegedly…

May 2, 2007 11:52 PM CDT

The Office: Judgment Day

A regional manager of a paper company calls gay employees “faggy” and asks two female employees to act out a love scene as part of a sexual harassment training program.

May 1, 2007 7:32 PM CDT

You’re Fired

Those words say the same thing in any language, but their legal meaning may vary drastically from country to country

May 1, 2007 9:26 AM CDT

Court Weighs Suits By Congressional Employees

The U.S. Supreme Court will have to sort through a tangle of issues in a case that asks whether the speech or debate clause gives immunity to members of Congress for their hiring and firing decisions, according to the Washington Post. Brad Hanson is suing former Sen. Mark Dayton of…

Apr 25, 2007 7:00 PM CDT

Post-Shakeout Move by Mayer Brown Dept. Head

The musical chairs game continues at Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw, following the demotion and/or outright dismissal of 45 partners last month. New York City-based Gary Friedman, who was chair of the firm’s national employment practice group, is moving with three other lawyers (one counsel and two associates) to Weil,…

Apr 24, 2007 10:48 PM CDT

Lawyer: Stop ‘Rush to Judgment’ in Bank Case

Wasting no time getting to work after his weekend appointment to represent beleaguered World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, powerhouse Washington attorney Robert Bennett called today for measured consideration of the situation. The bank’s board is already reportedly deliberating about the fate of Wolfowitz, who is accused of having given a…

Apr 24, 2007 10:32 PM CDT

World Bank President Hires Bill Clinton’s Lawyer

White-collar wonder Robert Bennett, who represented then-President Bill Clinton concerning sexual harassment claims made by Arkansas state employee Paula Jones, is now representing the president of the World Bank. Interviewed over the phone by the Bloomberg news agency, Bennett described as a “nothing” case the investigation of Paul Wolfowitz by…

Apr 24, 2007 12:27 AM CDT

Study: Big Pay Gap Due to Gender Discrimination

A dramatic pay gap between what comparably qualified – and situated – men and women earn is apparent within a year after they graduate from college and is much wider a decade later, according to a study released today. Although women outperform men in college, they earn 20 percent less…

Apr 23, 2007 11:00 AM CDT

Lateral Makes an Unusual Move to Wachtell

For just the third time in 42 years, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz will be hiring a lateral partner, the American Lawyer reports. Joining the firm on Monday is Michael Segal, the former co-head of executive compensation and benefits at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. He will join what…

Apr 20, 2007 5:22 PM CDT

Calif. Workers Can Recover More Lost Wages

The California Supreme Court yesterday gave workers up to three years to file lawsuits and claim lost wages under state law. Attorneys for defendant Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. had argued a one-year statute of limitations applied, according to a report on the decision (PDF) in the Recorder. The ruling means…

Apr 17, 2007 12:52 PM CDT

No New Cases for U.S. Supreme Court Today

The U.S. Supreme Court granted no new cases on the merits today. However, the high court asked the U.S. Solicitor General to weigh in with his thoughts on three others involving employee benefits, federal labor law and patent rights, reports SCOTUSblog. A response is expected in time to allow the…

Apr 16, 2007 7:14 PM CDT

High Court Works on Overtime

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a case seeking overtime wages for home health care workers. Plaintiff Evelyn Coke, a Jamaican immigrant, worked up to 70 hours a week without overtime pay while caring for the elderly, according to the Chicago Tribune. A federal regulation exempts home…

Apr 16, 2007 4:16 PM CDT

Judge Gags Ex-Wal-Mart Employee

An Arkansas judge has issued a gag order to prevent a fired Wal-Mart security engineer from speaking to the press.

Apr 10, 2007 2:43 PM CDT

DOJ Probing Bias in US Atty Firing

Former New Mexico U.S. Attorney David Iglesias has filed a complaint with a unit of the U.S. Department of Justice that claims he was fired in December because of the time he spent away from his office on Naval Reserve duty. A memo prepared for Justice Department officials testifying before…

Apr 5, 2007 8:18 PM CDT