2024 NBA Labor and Employment Section Annual Conference

JAMS is a proud sponsor of the National Bar Association's 2024 Labor and Employment Section Annual Conference. Join us in Washington, DC for a premier event that will bring together attorneys and legal professionals for engaging CLE seminars and unparalleled networking opportunities. In this esteemed gathering, you'll have the chance to to learn the most up-to-date labor and employment legal insights and trends. 

Featured Programs:

Navigating the Current Workplace: Emerging Trends and Strategies

Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM 

Workplaces are experiencing shifts in employee attitudes and engagement, presenting unique challenges for employers. This session will explore the evolving landscape of current workplaces.  Attendees will gain valuable insights into emerging trends and innovative strategies for conducting effectively managing their workforce and working environments, legally setting limits on types of speech and actions permitted in the workplace, while encouraging inclusivity and belonging for everyone.

JAMS Speaker: Joanne Saint Louis

Managing Workplace Investigations

Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 3:50 PM - 4:50 PM ET

As employment verdicts skyrocket across the country one of the biggest questions is, what is driving these awards?  This presentation will examine the significance of non-economic damages in employment verdicts, specifically, emotional distress awards.  During this panel presentation, we will discuss the importance of understanding emotional distress damages, including the inherent subjectivity of these awards and the potential for inflated or disproportionate awards.  We will apply this understanding to several recent high-profile verdicts where emotional distress played a key role in the damages awarded.  Through this panel presentation, we will also address strategies for examining and valuing these claims and we will discuss future trends and considerations.  

JAMS Speaker: Paul E. Garrison, Esq. 

Get Over It:  Understanding The Impact of Emotional Distress Damages in Employment Trials and Resolution 

Friday, October 18, 2024 | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM ET

As employment verdicts skyrocket across the country one of the biggest questions is, what is driving these awards?  This presentation will examine the significance of non-economic damages in employment verdicts, specifically, emotional distress awards.  During this panel presentation, we will discuss the importance of understanding emotional distress damages, including the inherent subjectivity of these awards and the potential for inflated or disproportionate awards.  We will apply this understanding to several recent high-profile verdicts where emotional distress played a key role in the damages awarded.  Through this panel presentation, we will also address strategies for examining and valuing these claims and we will discuss future trends and considerations.  

JAMS Speaker: Michael K. Lewis, Esq. 

Accommodating Pregnant and Lactating Employees 

Friday, October 18, 2024 | 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM ET

A look at the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and lactation accommodations and what it means for your workplace.  The discussion will include what employers can expect in terms of new litigation stemming from the newly enacted law. 

JAMS Speaker: Denise Langford Morris, Retired Judge

Mediation and Settlement Considerations:  A Sneak Peek into your Adversary’s Case

Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Have you ever wondered what happens in the other room (physical or virtual) during a mediation? In this demonstrative presentation, panelists will offer a behind-the-scenes look at what happens from the perspectives of the plaintiffs, employers, in-house counsel, and neutrals and offer practical tips for effective advocacy. Subjects will include, the importance of mediator selection, pre-mediation preparation, managing a party’s emotions and expectations, leveraging embarrassing or difficult facts, preparing opening demands and responses, the pros and cons of different formats and negotiating techniques, and what to do if the mediator is ineffective. 

JAMS Speaker: Kim M. Keenan, Esq.