Workers and students who experience civil rights violations have a plethora of legal tools at their disposal to seek accountability and relief—ranging from constitutional, to statutory, to tort claims. But the courthouse doors have long been closed to one group, whose exclusion from remedies by the government which they defend is particularly jarring: members of […]

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) Heritage Month, which celebrates the contributions of the AAPI community to the history and culture of the United States. With the rise of anti-Asian violence since the start of the pandemic, many have been wondering how they can be better allies to the AAPI community. One simple […]

As Justice Kagan has famously declared: “We are all textualists now.” But textualism, while purporting to be the ultimate in objectivity and impartiality, is actually anything but evenhanded. In the hands of its fiercest proponents—namely those on the conservative side of the judicial spectrum—it means different things in different cases and for different people and […]

As it appeared on the Stanford Law School Blog By David Sanford ’95, Chair of Sanford Heisler Sharp and member of the Stanford Center on the Legal Profession Advisory Board Deborah Rhode was a great friend, and a devoted supporter of our civil rights law firm, our firm’s mission, and our firm’s clients. I first […]

Mayor Muriel Bowser recently signed into law a new Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2020 for the District of Columbia. The new law, which will go into effect following a 30-day congressional review period, offers sweeping and unprecedented employee protection from restrictive workplace policies designed to prevent employees from engaging in employment deemed […]

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 […]

By now, everyone is aware of the allegations of wide-spread child sexual abuse perpetrated over the years by members of organizations like the Catholic Church and the Boys Scouts of America. For too many years, allegations of child sex abuse against these organizations and others were kept quiet. As more and more victims come forward […]

Ever since the Gold Rush of the mid-19th century, California has attracted a large number of job seekers.  Silicon Valley is home to some of the world’s most valuable technology companies, and the Los Angeles area dominates the national media and entertainment industries.  With these booming sectors come enticing professional opportunities that appeal to people […]

Effective January 6, 2020, New York banned employers from asking job seekers and employees about their compensation history. The same law, Labor Law § 194-a, prohibits employers from relying on salary history in deciding whether to offer employment to an applicant as well as in determining salaries for applicants and employees. The law also prohibits […]

The EEO-1 survey is an incomparable source of data on employee diversity at U.S. corporations. The survey is conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and requires private employers with over 100 employees to collect race and gender data on their employees on an annual basis. The data collection includes, among other data points, a […]