» civil rights
The rights of pregnant employees receive a boost
April 10th, 2015
The Supreme Court recently ruled that pregnant workers cannot be treated less favorably than non-pregnant workers simply because it is inconvenient or costly to accommodate pregnancy. In Young v. United Parcel Service, the plaintiff employee had medi…
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Categories: Blog
$14 million victory for 5 plaintiffs in landmark labor trafficking case
March 2nd, 2015
A Federal jury in New Orleans returned a verdict in the first of numerous labor trafficking cases against a global construction company with major operations in the United States, Signal International, Inc., and several co-defendants. The jury awarde…
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Categories: Blog
Federal whistleblowers gain broad protection despite concerns about national security
February 9th, 2015
After considering the Federal government’s forceful national security argument, the Supreme Court – yet again – took an expansive approach to retaliation claims in a recent and high-profile case. In that matter, Dep’t of Homeland Security v.…
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Categories: Uncategorized
Rating agency may pay $1 billion to settle mortgage-related fraud claims
January 19th, 2015
Although the banksters and their accomplices have emerged from the Great Recession largely unscathed, many people across the country still struggle now. For those among the proverbial 99%, the news of a potential settlement between the Department of…
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Categories: Blog
Supreme court decision strikes another blow against workplace fairness
December 22nd, 2014
In Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. v. Busk, a unanimous Supreme Court recently ruled that companies do not have to pay employees for the time employees must spend being subjected to daily anti-theft screening procedures imposed by employers. Notab…
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Categories: Blog
Supreme Court summarily rejects heightened pleading requirement for civil rights plaintiffs
November 13th, 2014
In Johnson v. City of Shelby, the entire Supreme Court recently addressed what is enough for civil rights plaintiffs to state a valid claim concerning alleged violations of constitutional rights. In a unanimous per curiam decision – meaning an opin…
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Categories: Blog
More retaliation plaintiffs have a right to a jury trial – of course, and it is about time!
September 12th, 2014
Over a decade ago, and based on Article 1 of the Minnesota Constitution, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that whistleblowers have a right to a jury trial on their retaliation claims under Minnesota whistleblower law. Abraham v. Cnty. of Hennepin, 6…
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Categories: Blog
Vital victories for employees, but corporate power persists
August 14th, 2014
In recent years, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) has rendered a number of courageous decisions that promote workplace fairness for both union and non-union employees. For example, the NLRB ruled that employers cannot retaliate against…
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Categories: Blog
Escalating legal action against domestic surveillance
July 14th, 2014
The ongoing revelations about spying on United States citizens here at home as well as on the nation’s key allies abroad have caused a political uproar that has triggered, for example, the abrupt expulsion of the Central Intelligence Agency(“CIA�…
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Categories: Blog
The straw that broke the camel’s back
June 20th, 2014
After the decision by the Supreme Court, Univ. of Tex. Southwestern Med. Ctr. v. Nassar, 133 S.Ct. 2517 (2013), many employer lawyers have argued that employees will now have great difficulty prevailing as to retaliation claims. Defense lawyers base…
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Categories: Blog
