Are you considering contacting a lawyer about discrimination, harassment, or mistreatment at work?  It may be tempting to wait.  You think: “Let’s see how this plays out.  Learn if the company will do the right thing.  Maybe they will promote you, or transfer you, and maybe things will get better.  You have a lot on […]

As many schools go fully virtual this fall, working parents are faced with many questions about caring for and educating children while working.  Working moms also face an additional question: will my boss perceive me as less committed to my work because I am a woman with children?  Unfortunately, too often the answer is “yes.” […]

The Supreme Court’s opinion released earlier this week in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia represents an outstanding milestone in the LGBTQ civil rights movement, and numerous posts and articles rightly celebrate this, including this one by my colleague Alok Nadig. The opinion also reminds us of several concepts that can benefit all victims of unlawful […]

A new Virginia law expands anti-discrimination protections for employees in the state and gives employees and civil rights advocates many reasons to celebrate.  Here are five. 1. Virginia employees are explicitly protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sexual identity. When the law goes into effect on July 1, 2020, there will […]

Fired?  Laid off?  I’m sure you have so many things running through your mind right now.  Here are a few things to consider when reviewing your severance agreement. DON’T be pressured to respond or sign immediately. Your employer must give you time to review the agreement.  I frequently hear of employers trying to pressure or […]

Thinking of raising a complaint to your Human Resources representative?  First, read these Dos and Don’ts from an employment law attorney. 1. DO read this article: “HR Is Not Your Friend: Here’s Why.” In representing clients in gender discrimination claims and pregnancy discrimination claims, I have learned that many employees think HR is there for […]

Thinking of reaching out to an employment attorney? It is likely that the attorney, or someone in the attorney’s office, will want to conduct an intake with you to learn about your situation. Here are a few Dos and Don’ts that you may find helpful. 1. DO tell them why you called. Are you looking […]

Law 360 recently reported that two law firms are revamping their performance evaluation process for associate attorneys by replacing formal annual reviews with more informal, frequent performance assessments. Law360 also reported that other BigLaw firms are likely to follow suit. Law firms that have initiated these changes explain that more frequent, timely feedback on performance […]

The past few years, and particularly the past few months, have been a very interesting time to be a gender discrimination lawyer focusing on gender issues, particularly in the legal profession. We have been having a national conversation about pay equity, and every day more women lawyers are asking questions about the fairness of their […]

Several recent gender discrimination class action lawsuits illustrate that women in law firms face a number of additional hurdles not encountered by their male colleagues.  While women have made up more than 40% of law school students for more than three decades, the number of women diminishes at every level of advancement.  In last month’s […]

I originally published this post in advance of a panel event commemorating Equal Pay Day. The event involved a lively discussion on the gender pay gap, as well as how best to communicate the issue of equal pay in our current political climate. For additional information on the gender pay gap, follow this blog! For […]

I was happy to meet and talk with Anna Rappaport at a happy hour in the fall about her work as a career coach.  I had not worked with a coach before and was curious, as a few of my friends had great things to say about their experiences.  I also thought I could improve […]

Earlier this fall I coordinated a happy hour with the D.C. Women’s Bar Association, and I enjoyed talking with several interesting women (and a handful of men brave enough to come to a WBA event!).  I talked with Andi Cullins about her efforts to get more women on corporate boards.  Andi explained that she is […]

The National Employment Lawyers Association, or NELA, does a ton of great work advocating for workplace rights.  One of my first interviews for this blog was with Roberta Steele, Program Director at the organization, about how forced arbitration prevents American workers from enforcing their rights.  As the Legislative & Public Policy Director for NELA, Laura […]

Fellow blogger Kate Kimpel returned from a conference earlier this year and told me how impressed she was with today’s interviewee, who founded the OnRamp Fellowship.  The fellowship matches experienced lawyers returning to the profession with law firms for a one-year, paid training contract.  As a former lawyer in Big Law (and currently a lawyer […]