On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Specifically, the Act amends Section 6103(a) of Title 5 of the United States Code, by inserting after the item relating to Memorial Day the following: “Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19.” Celebrated by African Americans yearly since the Civil War…
Read More Juneteenth Is Now a Federal HolidayToday is Memorial Day. Originally called Decoration Day, this holiday originated in the years following the Civil War, became a federal holiday in 1971 (see 5 U.S.C § 6103(a) (deeming “Memorial Day” the last Monday in May)), and is intended to honor the men and women who have died during the performance of their military…
Read More Memorial Day 2021Twenty-twenty has, to say the least, been quite a (miserable) year, characterized by the introduction and propagation of a deadly virus, lockdowns, business closures, eviction moratoriums, protests, etc. As we run out the clock, I thought I would share with you some of my thoughts as a New York City-based attorney/solo practitioner working in the…
Read More Year in Review: 2020In a recent case, Belvin and Mayers v. Electchester Management, LLC, 2020 WL 7262877 (E.D.N.Y. Dec. 10, 2020), the court, inter alia, dismissed one plaintiff’s retaliation claim, finding that they did not establish a prima facie case of retaliation. From the decision: Regarding the first claim, Mr. Mayers has failed to adduce evidence of retaliation…
Read More Retaliation Claim Dismissed; Insufficient Help in Putting Up Christmas Decorations Was Not An “Adverse Employment Action”Today, November 3, 2020, is (among other things) “National Sandwich Day.” Popularized in 18th century England by the 4th Earl of Sandwich, the sandwich has become a staple of the American lunch and an integral part of American pop culture. You may be wondering why I put the word “sandwich” in quotation marks in the…
Read More Happy National “Sandwich” Day!Just a friendly reminder that, under New York law, A person is guilty of grand larceny in the second degree [a class C felony] when he steals property and when: 1. The value of the property exceeds fifty thousand dollars; or 2. The property, regardless of its nature and value, is obtained by extortion committed…
Read More Trick or Treat, a/k/a Extortion?“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These words comprise the Preamble to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which (as articulated by the National Archives) “states the…
Read More July 4th, 2020: Happy 244th Birthday, AmericaToday is Juneteenth, which celebrates the ending of slavery in the United States. On this day in 1865, Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended that enslaved persons were now free. This was, notably, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation (which became official on January 1, 1863). Juneteenth…
Read More Juneteenth: 2020Today we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated in 1968. It is impossible to capture here the breadth and power of Dr. King’s words, actions, and life. His 1963 Letter From a Birmingham Jail (see also here) remains one of the most important documents in U.S. history. Its words –…
Read More Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2020It’s New Year’s Eve – a time for reflection, and, of course, revelry. New Year’s Eve parties are a great opportunity to connect with friends, and to bring in the new year with a bang. Sometimes they’re completely enjoyable – and sometimes a shelf collapses on your head. In C.I.R. v. Mangaroni, LLC, No. 156031/2015,…
Read More Plaintiff Denied Summary Judgment in New Year’s Eve Party Accident