In a case of first impression, the Supreme Judicial Court held that an employee who is a “qualifying patient” under the Massachusetts’ 2012 medical marijuana law (“An Act for the humanitarian medical use of marijuana”) (the “medical marijuana law”) may pursue a claim for handicap discrimination under the state’s anti-discrimination laws codified in M.G. L. c. […]
News
Federal Leaders Need to Know How Costly It Would Be to Cut Legal Aid
Carol Starkey was quoted in the Boston Globe article “Federal Leaders Need to Know How Costly It Would Be to Cut Legal Aid,” which was published on June 14, 2017. An excerpt from the article is below. To read the full article, visit the Boston Globe website. Simply put, investing in civil legal aid programs […]
Trump’s Labor Department Rescinds Guidance Letters on Employee Misclassification and Joint Employment
In a Trump administration that typically acts with great fanfare, Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta quietly announced the immediate withdrawal of two administrative guidance letters issued during the Obama administration. The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a three-sentence news release on Wednesday, reporting that Secretary Acosta had withdrawn the 2015 administrative guidance about the misclassification of […]
The Work of the Boston Bar Association, and Its Mission, Have Rarely Been More Relevant
Carol Starkey authored the below letter to Boston Bar Association members during her term as President of the Boston Bar Association. The letter was released on November 18, 2016. Dear Colleagues and Friends, I have always seen the practice of law as one of the most significant means of participating in our unique American democracy. […]
Harnessing Legal Talent in the “City of Innovation”
Carol Starkey authored “Harnessing Legal Talent in the “City of Innovation”,” which was published as part of the Boston Bar Journal on October 26, 2016. View an excerpt from the article below. Read the full piece on the Boston Bar Journal website. As lawyers, even while in pursuit of professional excellence, we also need support […]
A Refresher on Retaliation Based on the EEOC’s Revised Retaliation Guidance
Retaliation is now the most frequently alleged basis of discrimination. The number of retaliation claims has doubled since 1998. In fiscal year 2015, retaliation accounted for nearly 45% of the claims the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received. Despite this, the Commission had not revised its guidance on retaliation since it was first issued in 1998. […]
