Category: Press Release

We are pleased to announce that Tamika L. Butler and Rachael Langston were selected by the editors of The Recorder as two among 50 Lawyers on the Fast Track. The list recognized attorneys who have practiced 10 years or less and who have demonstrated “substantial accomplishments as leaders, lawyers and community members.” Read more about… Continue reading Two Legal Aid Attorneys on The Fast Track

April 17, 2012, marked “Equal Pay Day” in the United States. On average, women earn less than men and therefore they must work one day longer a week to earn  the same pay.  That’s why Equal Pay Day is recognized yearly;  it is to demonstrate concretely that it takes one day more per week for… Continue reading Equal Pay Day: U.S. Women Still Earning 20% Less than Men

Central California Legal Services (CCLS), Legal Aid Society–Employment Law Center, and Lang, Richert & Patch, with support from the Mexican Consulate in Fresno, Team Up to Provide Free Legal Services in Central Valley. The CCLS/Legal Aid Workers’ Rights Clinic devoted to the employment issues of low-wage workers will open its doors at 2115 Kern Street,… Continue reading New Employment Law Clinic for Low-Wage Workers to Open in Fresno

On Saturday April 14, 2012, Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center attorneys Elizabeth Kristen and Tamika Butler co-presented a workshop at the 2012 American Association of University Women (AAUW) California Convention in Santa Clara, California.  In the workshop, “Fair Play for Girls in Sports-Leveling the Playing Field for K-12 Athletes,” Elizabeth and Tamika focused on the… Continue reading Leveling the Playing Field for Female Athletes: Legal Aid Staff Discuss the Promise of Title IX at the AAUW Convention

On April 12, 2012, the California Supreme Court issued its much-awaited decision in Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court, clarifying an employer’s obligations to provide hourly—or non-exempt—workers meal and rest periods. On the central question of what it means to provide meal periods, the Brinker decision concluded that “an employer’s obligation is to relieve its… Continue reading Decision in Brinker v. Superior Court: Employers May Not Interfere with Workers’ Right to Meal Breaks

David Lopez, General Counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), visited the offices of Legal Aid on Wednesday March 21, 2012. Lopez, the first field staff attorney to be appointed as the EEOC’s General Counsel, spent an hour and a half with Legal Aid staff, government representatives and community advocates outlining his mandate… Continue reading EEOC General Counsel David Lopez Visits Legal Aid

Today, in Coleman v. Court of Appeals of Maryland, the Supreme Court held that state workers cannot sue for money damages for violations of the “self-care” provision of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Enacted in 1993, the FMLA allows eligible workers to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave (1) to… Continue reading Enforcement of Family Medical Leave Act Weakened by Supreme Court

Although pregnancy discrimination has been illegal for decades, many women continue to be fired after they inform their employers that they are pregnant.   Legal Aid Senior Staff Attorney Sharon Terman recently testified on this issue at a public hearing held by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Washington, D.C. Terman was one… Continue reading Unlawful Discrimination Against Pregnant Workers and Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities

In a potentially precedent-setting decision, Judge James M. Lorenz of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Thursday ruled in favor of a group of female athletes in a Title IX class action lawsuit against the Sweetwater Union High School District. The judge determined the school district unfairly favored boys’ sports… Continue reading High School Girl Athletes Win Major Title IX Class Action Case in U.S. District Court Against Sweetwater Union School District