But if you are at all interested in what may be coming out of new NLRB General Counsel Richard Griffin's office, and if you are an employer you should be, then you should at least know of Jennifer Abruzzo and Rachel Lennie, the new deputy general counsel and assistant general counsel respectively. See Corporate Counsel's, New NLRB GC Begins Building Labor Legal Team.
Because the GC controls what cases are initiated the legal judgments as to what kinds of cases and the theories on which they will be brought will rest primarily in the hands of these three for the next four years.
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
The Things People Say and Do
One of the many changes that have happened since I first started practicing law in 1975, is the appearance of services which monitor the filings of new lawsuits and send summaries to law firms. One such excellent service is Courthouse News Service, which actually does a lot more than just prepare summaries of new lawsuits. In the first paragraph of their "about us" they note:
In any event, one of their recent reports of a filing of a lawsuit by a pro se plaintiff in Harris County, Texas was the following:
Apparently, no matter how good the advice, it was not appreciated.
Courthouse News Service is a nationwide news service for lawyers and the news media. Based in Pasadena, California, Courthouse News focuses on civil litigation, from the date of filing through the appellate level. Unlike other Internet-based publishers that simply aggregate information prepared by other content providers, Courthouse News publishes its own original news content prepared by its staff of reporters and editors based across the country.
In any event, one of their recent reports of a filing of a lawsuit by a pro se plaintiff in Harris County, Texas was the following:
Plaintiff points to ... an executive assistant, as the source of such office hostility that plaintiff gave her an article titled "De-clawing cattiness at work." She was fired the next day. She wants $600,000 damages.And just in case you are wondering, it is at least theoretically possible that this did happen as a Google search reveals a 2005 article by Executive Coach Kay Cannon, De-clawing Cattiness in the Workplace.
Apparently, no matter how good the advice, it was not appreciated.
Monday, 4 November 2013
ENDA Half-way Home?
For the first time ever the United States Senate seems poised to pass legislation that would prevent discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgendered individuals appears to have obtained the 60 votes that would allow it to pass. See, Bill on Workplace Bias Appears Set to Clear Senate Hurdle.
However, with Speaker John Boehner in opposition, it seems unlikely that the bill will be put to a vote, much less pass the House. Although this is one issue on which big business is generally neutral, so stranger things have happened.
In a speech last month, I predicted ENDA as one of the first pieces of employment legislation I expected, if the legislative gridlock ever melted.
I will stick with the prediction, but I would be surprised if this were an issue that made gridlock disappear, even temporarily.
However, with Speaker John Boehner in opposition, it seems unlikely that the bill will be put to a vote, much less pass the House. Although this is one issue on which big business is generally neutral, so stranger things have happened.
In a speech last month, I predicted ENDA as one of the first pieces of employment legislation I expected, if the legislative gridlock ever melted.
I will stick with the prediction, but I would be surprised if this were an issue that made gridlock disappear, even temporarily.
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