September 10, 2021
No items found.

The DOJ Plays Whack-a-Mole to Try to Save Roe From Texas Abortion Law

   

A little more than a week after Senate Bill 8 (SB 8) went into effect in the state of Texas, most of us still have anxious questions about the unconstitutional law, not least of which is, what can be done about this?

Senior Associate Alex Berke, in another article for The Daily Beast, unpacks the Whack-A-Mole maneuver the DOJ is currently engaged in—and may be engaged in for a long time. She writes, “The DOJ is uniquely situated to argue that the law must be stopped from being in effect, because state law cannot violate federal law, and cannot directly regulate the activities of the federal government and its contractors.” Read the article here.

The Texas legislation seeks to upend Roe v. Wade by deputizing private citizens—instead of the state—to enforce a ban on abortions after merely 6 weeks of pregnancy (before most women even realize they’re pregnant). If you haven’t read Alex’s first Daily Beast piece which covers SB 8, you can read it here.

New York State Human Rights Law Invoked in Sexual Harassment Arbitration Case

August 11, 2020
Sexual Harassment
A split has appeared in how to handle sexual harassment cases with a New York trial judge ruling recently that the state’s Human Rights Law prevents companies and employees from entering arbitration over sexual harassment. This contradicts an earlier ruling in New York’s Southern District where a judge ruled that arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) supersedes New York’s statutory prohibition against arbitration.

The First Recession for Women

August 11, 2020
Gender Discrimination
There is a new feature to the pandemic-induced recession that has decimated employment, manufacturing, child care, education, and just about every other facet of life. It is women, not men who are the most greatly affected by the force of the shutdown.

The Berke-Weiss Law Weekly Roundup: Black Pregnancy in New York City and School Reopening Reversals

August 10, 2020
Race Discrimination
Pregnancy Discrimination
We’re now a week into the expiration of the enhanced unemployment benefits of the CARES Act and the news is not good. Congress and the White House remain at least a trillion of dollars apart on a new deal, with the Senate GOP split, though their prized bit of the CARES Act, the corporate bailout, did not have an expiration date, unlike those parts aimed at protecting workers, such as the PUA and eviction moratoriums. Thus, with depressing predictability, there were a spate of alarming stories this week echoing the fears that tenant unions and activists have been voicing for months: by ending employment relief we are hurtling toward a cliff, over which lies massive, nationwide evictions.

Get In Touch

Knowing where to turn in legal matters can make a big difference. Contact our employment lawyers to determine if we can help you.