Labor & Employment

Afternoon Briefs: Facebook sued over Kenosha killing; GC says she was fired for failing to soften criticism

Facebook, militia groups and Kyle Rittenhouse sued The partner of Anthony Huber, a man killed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, protests, is among four plaintiffs suing Facebook, militia groups and Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged with killing Huber and a second person. The suit says the Kenosha Guard, a militia group, called…

Sep 24, 2020 3:49 PM CDT

Divided 2nd Circuit rejects statistical bias claim against company that refused to hire convicted felons

A federal appeals court has affirmed dismissal of a suit claiming that a company’s refusal to hire convicted felons has a discriminatory impact on Black applicants because they are arrested and incarcerated at higher rates than their proportion of the population.

Sep 22, 2020 10:24 AM CDT

Cuban American judge and SCOTUS contender’s record on voting rights, executive power could be contentious

A Cuban American judge who fought to keep a Cuban boy in the United States is said to be a top contender for the U.S. Supreme Court following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Sep 21, 2020 3:26 PM CDT

A top SCOTUS contender, Amy Coney Barrett is likely to draw scrutiny for decisions on abortion, campus sex assault

Considered one of the top contenders for a U.S. Supreme Court nomination, U.S. Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett is known as a conservative who shows a strong deference to religious values.

Sep 21, 2020 2:04 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Self-driving car crash leads to charge; ABA center will monitor trial of ‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero

Backup driver for self-driving car is charged after crash death A backup driver for an Uber self-driving test vehicle has been charged with negligent homicide for a March 2018 crash that killed a homeless woman. Rafael Vasquez, 46, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Maricopa County, Arizona. Police in Tempe, Arizona,…

Sep 18, 2020 3:01 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Bill Gates Sr. dies at 94; federal judiciary seeks $500M for better security

Bill Gates Sr., lawyer and ABA Medal winner, dies at 94 Lawyer and 2009 ABA Medal winner Bill Gates Sr. has died at age 94. Gates was a name partner at K&L Gates and a co-chair at the foundation established by his son, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. When he was…

Sep 16, 2020 4:55 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Justice Ginsburg officiates wedding; more women and minorities join GC ranks

Justice Ginsburg officiates wedding U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiated at an outdoor wedding Sunday, about a month and a half after revealing that she was receiving chemotherapy for liver cancer. The bride tweeted a photo showing Ginsburg at a lectern in her judicial robe, without a mask.…

Sep 2, 2020 4:27 PM CDT

Insurers rack up early wins in lawsuits over COVID-19 ‘business interruption’ coverage

Court decisions on "business interruption" coverage are so far favoring insurers as they fight claims for lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 2, 2020 1:11 PM CDT

A flood of age discrimination lawsuits is expected from COVID-19 and the economic downturn

The novel coronavirus pandemic has raised unprecedented legal questions for U.S. employers and employees who are older than 40 or who have a medical disability. Labor and employment attorneys say they are receiving a flood of complaints and questions about layoffs, firings and recalls to the workplace.

Sep 1, 2020 1:12 PM CDT

In opinion by Trump appointee, 5th Circuit upholds firing of DA employee over political differences

A Texas district attorney did not violate the First Amendment when he fired the coordinator of his crime victims unit because of political disagreements, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans has ruled.

Aug 31, 2020 9:47 AM CDT

Summer associate—said to be ‘like a dude in heels’—was victim of gender bias and bullying, suit says

A summer associate last year at Howard & Howard's Chicago office alleges in a bias lawsuit that she was subjected to “a culture of gender discrimination and bizarre bullying tactics” by the law firm.

Aug 31, 2020 8:30 AM CDT

This law prof has been fighting off Twitter trolls during the coronavirus crisis

While Veena Dubal was adapting to working at home with three young children during the COVID-19 pandemic, the “reply guys” came after the California law professor on Twitter for her support of a 2020 state law that extends employee classification status to gig workers.

Aug 31, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

Employee urine samples taken by ‘direct observation method’ don’t invade privacy, state supreme court rules

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled 4-3 on Wednesday that an employee can’t sue for invasion of privacy when an employer uses the “direct observation method” to collect a urine sample for drug testing.

Aug 27, 2020 10:02 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Alaska attorney general resigns over text messages; lawsuit claims racial bias in concussion deal

Alaska attorney general resigns after text messages disclosed Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson has resigned after a news investigation found that he sent more than 550 text messages in March to the cellphone of a younger employee. The texts invited the woman to Clarkson’s home, told her that she was…

Aug 26, 2020 4:36 PM CDT

Judge doesn’t have qualified immunity for alleged sex harassment, 3rd Circuit says

A federal appeals court has ruled that a Pennsylvania judge does not have qualified immunity for allegedly coercing a probation officer into sexual relations and continuing to harass her when the relationship ended.

Aug 26, 2020 9:32 AM CDT