ABA Labor and Employment Law Podcast

Live from Denver and the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section Annual Conference, a conversation with guest Charlotte Burrows on gender discrimination and the status of the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).  Host Matt Greer talks in person with Burrows, the former chair of the EEOC and a fellow at both the University of California Berkeley’s Applied Technology Policy group and the New York University School of Law.  When most people spend the majority of their adult lives working, Burrows says there’s nothing more important than workplace protections against discrimination, sexual harassment, and abuse, regardless of sex and gender identity.  Today, recent attempts to roll back many protections have brought the mission of the EEOC into the spotlight. Hear from a lifelong fighter for workers’ rights about how the tug of war over conflicting interpretations of the law, along with staffing cutbacks and shortages at the EEOC, are impacting workplace rights, protections, and case processing.  Also, a few minutes with Salomon Chiquiar-Rabinovich Ph.D., 2025 winner of the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section’s Honorable Bernice B. Donald Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Legal Profession Award. Chiquiar-Rabinovich came to the US from Mexico and shares his inspiring story of immigration, his thirst for knowledge, and overcoming challenges and a disability in his service to others. Live from Denver and the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section Annual Conference, a conversation with guest Charlotte Burrows on gender discrimination and the status of the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).  Host Matt Greer talks in person with Burrows, the former chair of the EEOC and a fellow at both the University of California Berkeley’s Applied Technology Policy group and the New York University School of Law.  When most people spend the majority of their adult lives working, Burrows says there’s nothing more important than workplace protections against discrimination, sexual harassment, and abuse, regardless of sex and gender identity.  Today, recent attempts to roll back many protections have brought the mission of the EEOC into the spotlight. Hear from a lifelong fighter for workers’ rights about how the tug of war over conflicting interpretations of the law, along with staffing cutbacks and shortages at the EEOC, are impacting workplace rights, protections, and case processing.  Also, a few minutes with Salomon Chiquiar-Rabinovich Ph.D., 2025 winner of the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section’s Honorable Bernice B. Donald Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Legal Profession Award. Chiquiar-Rabinovich came to the US from Mexico and shares his inspiring story of immigration, his thirst for knowledge, and overcoming challenges and a disability in his service to others. Mentioned in This Episode: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, Wikipedia EEOLeaders.org  EEOC Title VII The ABA Labor and Employment Law Section 2026 Annual Conference is scheduled for Nov. 4-7, 2026 in Washington, DC  ABA Labor and Employment Law Section

The 2025 ABA Labor and Employment Section annual conference is scheduled for Nov. 12-15 in Denver. In this episode, get a preview of the conference from planning committee co-chair Jeremy Glenn, host committee co-chair Anne Shaver, and Section chair Jason Marsili.  This is the 19th annual signature conference for the Section. It’s a great chance for members to earn a year’s worth of CLE credit at one location and a great place to network (plus, Denver is a fantastic city).  Brush up and hear the latest developments in your own niche area of specialization or get a feel for areas where you might not regularly work. There’s been a seismic shift in federal employment oversight this year making it an interesting time to work in labor and employment law.  Plus, hear how artificial intelligence, AI, is working its way through the legal community. Where does it make your life easier, and where does it create ethical issues?  Resources: ABA Labor and Employment Law Section Annual Conference Nov. 12-15 ABA Labor and Employment Law Section History Colorado Center History Colorado Sand Creek Massacre History Colorado “The 90s: Last Decade Before the Future” Denver Art Museum Meow Wolf Casa Bonita (you really do need a reservation)

Diversity, equity, and inclusivity initiatives, DEI, have been under scrutiny in the past year. Is DEI “dead” or simply “evolving under pressure?” Guests Stephanie Jones and Joan Willaims – with decades of scholarship and experience in the field of inclusive, fair labor, and employment issues – dig into recent shifts in the landscape.  Executive orders, political agendas, and public opinion have challenged advances made under DEI initiatives. These efforts to maintain fairness and build diversity face being dismantled faster than they can be instituted in some cases.  In this episode, we’ll explore the future of DEI, including the program “buzzwords” that often attract negative attention, as well as the most effective DEI programs that focus on data, evidence, consistency, and fairness. Hear how DEI programs can be reshaped, implemented, and sustained in a shifting cultural, legal, and political environment.  Mentioned in This Episode: ABA Leadership Development Program “I’m Just a Bill,” Schoolhouse Rock “Target was one of the most outspoken supporters of DEI. It’s changed its tune,” CNN Business W.K. Kellogg Foundation “The New Class Bubble Quiz”   ABA Labor and Employment Law Section

 The National Labor Relations Act recently turned 90 years old, but there appear to be a series of new “what’s old is new again” challenges to the constitutionality of National Labor Relations Board’s powers, a replay of arguments harking back to the New Deal.  Guests Eric Dreiband and Diana Reddy explore the current state of employment and labor law and recent challenges to NLRB oversight and the president’s power over the board.  The Act and the NLRB sprang from the Great Depression and were incorporated into New Deal policies in an attempt to fix what went wrong. The NLRB and Act have provided protections to workers and unions and sought to level the bargaining process for decades.  But what was believed to be settled law might not be as “settled” as many thought. Today a flurry of new legal challenges question the constitutionality of some provisions and the extent of a sitting president’s power over leadership at the NLRB along with the role of administrative law judges. Legal professionals who have been counting on the “bedrock” of established labor relations law may find that foundation is shaking again.  Mentioned in This Episode: “Relitigating the New Deal: The Stakes of Current Constitutional Challenges to the NLRB” by Diana Reddy, Duke University, Labor National Labor Relations Act “Is the NLRB Unconstitutional? The Courts May Finally Decide, by Alexander T. MacDonald, Federalist Society “National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation,” Oyez “Space Exploration Technologies Corp. v. National Labor Relations Board,” Justia “Donald J. Trump, President Of The United States, Et Al. V. Gwynne A. Wilcox, Et Al. On Application For Stay,” U.S. Supreme Court National Labor Relations Board  Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ABA Labor and Employment Law Section ABA Labor and Employment Law events

When it comes to foreign workers inside the United States today, the world of immigration law has seemingly been upended. It can be hard to keep up with rapidly evolving events and rulings, but with clients and employers at risk, professionals who represent them can’t afford to fall behind. When do employers check work authorization, and how often can they? What do employers need to be looking for? And what industries are most affected?  While the Trump v. Casa case may not have brought the clarity many in labor and employment law sought, it was simply a procedural move that limits jurisdiction, it’s not the final word. This gets confusing in a hurry as the labor and employment professionals grapple with protective status, refugees, temporary status, and workforce eligibility issues. Hear insights from accomplished guests Jonathan Grode and Ingrid Nava into where shifting immigration policies may affect labor and employment law and what some of these decisions mean across the country and across labor sectors. In today’s uncertain times, it’s important to understand the limits of what employers can do, even when they are trying to do the right thing, as well as the rights of employees. Confused? You’re not alone. Mentioned in This Episode: Trump v. Casa, U.S. Supreme Court “Trump v. CASA and the future of the universal injunction,” SCOTUSblog explainer ABA Labor and Employment Law Section ABA Labor and Employment Law events