Sponsored by: Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia

Co-Sponsors:

Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA)

American Constitution Society (ACS) DC Lawyers Chapter

 

Recent actions of the Administration to “optimize” the federal work force have involved en masse firings of thousands of federal public servants including many probationary employees across agencies. Several lawsuits from civil rights and advocacy groups on behalf of fired employees have been filed challenging these actions, including a class action complaint asking the Office of Special Counsel to intervene on behalf of employees.  

While those cases work their way through the courts, what are your next steps? What are your rights as a probationary employee? What must you do to preserve your rights? This lunchtime program will offer a quick primer (not legal advise) for probationary employees seeking to best position themselves at this time of uncertainty.

 

Speaker:

Elaine Fitch,  Managing Partner, Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman, and Fitch, P.C. (KCNF)

Moderator:

Renee-Lauren Ellis, WBA Board Member & In-House Counsel

About the Speaker

Elaine L. Fitch, Managing Partner, KCNF, is a fierce advocate for civil rights in the workplace. She has spent her career fighting for federal and private sector employees confronted with a variety of issues including security clearance matters, disability issues, including failure to accommodate, all types of discrimination and harassment, and federal disciplinary matters. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-fitch-she-her-b74a853a/ )

Cost:

Members $0

Non-Members $0

 

Refunds can only be processed for cancelations received more than two business days prior to the event.

The WBA is a nonpartisan organization. The opinions and positions expressed by any program speaker are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the WBA.

The WBA regularly hosts programs for the education and enjoyment of its members and guests. The WBA is committed to ensuring that its employees, members, and guests are able to conduct their activities free from harassment or intimidation. The WBA, in its sole discretion, therefore reserves the right to deny access or to remove any attendee.

https://wbadc.member365.com/public/event/details/f9285ac78d5c55b4480022b182e1132ed3184557/1

We're hosting NYLS Professor Lenni Benson to provide an update or fireside chat about the current, hot button issues in Immigration law considering President Trump's recent executive orders.

The NYLS Chapter shall host Professor Jeffrey Wice, Ben Max (a colleguege of Professor Wice's at the New York Elections, Census, and Redistricting Institute), and L. Joy Williams, the President of the Brooklyn Chapter of the NAACP. We shall discuss the reasons why many swing states had local eleciton results that swung blue while those same swing states voted more conservatively on a national scale. 

*L. Joy Williams is not confirmed as of 2/4/2025*

The NYLS Chapter of ACS shall host Professor Lenni Benson to discuss the current status of immigration in the United States and specifically in New York. She intends to provide an overview of executive orders and other recent information to help students break down exactly what is going on.

This will be a panel discussion with Professor Schlanger and Professor Bagenstos about the impacts of Trump's mass federal firing / DOGE agenda on labor and the administrative state, and the resistance efforts being raised by workers, labor unions, and allies. We are co-sponsoring this event with the Michigan Immigration and Labor Law Association.

On Tuesday, ACS, WLA, HLS Democrats, and Freshfields will host Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune for a lunch talk on local government and a career in elected politics. Council President Louijeune has served as an at-large member of the City Council since 2022 and is the first Haitian-American member of the Council. She is a graduate of HLS and the Kennedy School and previously served as Senior Counsel for Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign. RSVP here for the event at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 25 in WCC 2004.