The EEOC was hit with an award of $4.5 million in attorney’s fees by a federal district court in Iowa. That is, the EEOC was ordered to pay $4.5 million to the winning side in their lawsuit. Workplace Prof has discussed the award. Turns out the EEOC filed suit on behalf of one woman and
Automatic Leave Policies Violate the ADA
In a recent settlement with the EEOC, Sears Roebuck agreed to pay $6.2 million to resolve claims made by persons with disabilities. Sears also agreed to enter into a consent decree, which means Sears agreed to perform many other non-monetary tasks in settlement of the claims. The EEOC represented persons with disabilities who had worked
Judge Keller Still in Hot Water
Judge Keller of the Court of Criminal Appeals is not out of hot water, yet. The Court of Criminal Appeals, of course, is the highest court in Texas for criminal cases. So, her case is significant. See San Antonio Express News report. The special counsel appointed in her case recommended that she suffer some
Workplace Romance Often Leads to Marriage
They are sometimes forbidden, but they occur all the same. Work place romance always occurs, and perhaps surprisingly, often leads to marriage. According to a recent San Antonio Express news article, more than 20% of office romances lead to marriage. One wedding planner says 25% of his weddings started in the workplace. The
Depositions Can Become Very Tense
We do this thing in litigation we call "depositions." One side can ask questions of a key witness. The testimony is recorded by a court reporter. Depositions can be very dull. They an also be very tense. After all, if the parties got along, there would be no lawsuit. Every client I have ever had
Law Firm Sued for Wage Law Violations
One would think that law firms would follow the law. Well, sometimes, its is more the opposite. A medium sized Ohio law firm is sued for wage violations in its office. The firm pays salary to secretaries and never pays overtime. Lazzaro Law Firm in Cleveland represents some 40 secretaries in a class action law
Applicant Seeks More Time for LSAT
A man has filed suit to obtain more time to complete the LSAT, the law school admission test. See report. The LSAT is critical to any admissions application for law school. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act provides that an individual with a disability is entitlted to necessary accommodation. Title III of
Low Wage Workers Are Not Paid What They Earned
In a recent survey, over half of low wage workers were found to not be receiving as much pay as they have earned. According to a study by the National Employment Law Project, the average worker lost $58 per week in unpaid wages. About one-fifth of workers were not paid the prevailing minimum wage
Physical Attractiveness Suggests Gender Based Discrimination
One of my first jobs was waiting on tables. I envied the female waitresses because they often scored better tips simply because they were attractive. The women knew that. They generally accepted that fact and used it. But, what if the employer told the waitresses, as some do to put on more makeup and look
Big Law is Sued for Discrimination
Many non-lawyers expect lawyers to follow the law. Not always. In one recent lawsuit, for example, a major law form was sued by the EEOC for age discrimination. The employee claims in this lawsuit that his law firm, Kelley Drye, provides in its partnership agreement that if a partner wishes to continue working past