What type of lawyer is most needed?
The types of lawyers in demand vary with the specific needs of the city’s businesses and residents. The legal market is diverse and offers opportunities in numerous practice areas. Some of the most universally in-demand legal specialties include intellectual property law, family law, immigration law, real estate law, and corporate law. Other quickly growing areas of law also include intellectual property law, data privacy and cybersecurity law, litigation, and labor and employment law.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows that 3.5% of Chicago’s employment sector is law. So, out of the approximately 4.5 million people employed in the city, about 162,000 people work in the legal field.
Chicago is home to many law firms, including many of the largest law firms in the U.S. It’s also home to several prestigious law schools. Thanks to the city’s robust legal market, lawyers earn higher salaries than lawyers in other parts of the nation.
Besides the high salaries, lawyers in the city also enjoy many other benefits. They get to work on high-profile cases, make a difference in the community, and work in a major city. So, if you want to jump-start your legal career, Chicago is a great place to find a job after law school.
The city has a strong economy and growing population, prompting many businesses and organizations to need legal services. It also boasts a vibrant legal community, which creates many opportunities for lawyers to network and collaborate with other lawyers. It offers a high-quality life through good schools, safe neighborhoods, and various cultural and recreational activities.
More people are moving to Chicago to pursue law careers. According to a recent study, the number of law school graduates moving to the city has increased by 10% in the past five years. The increase is attributed to the city’s strong economy, high salaries, and diverse job market.
The study also found that the most common reason for people moving to the city to pursue law careers is to work for a large law firm and focus on a specific practice area. Chicago is a major center for various legal industries, including intellectual property law, corporate law, and environmental law. As such, there are many opportunities for lawyers to build a successful career in their chosen area of law.
The demand for lawyers varies with the economic climate. For example, during economic downturns, there is often an increased demand for bankruptcy and employment lawyers. That aside, here are the most in-demand legal fields in the city:
- Many large corporations and startups need help protecting their intellectual property (IP). IP lawyers can help businesses with patent, trademark, copyright, licensing, and enforcement issues.
The demand for IP lawyers is expected to continue to grow in the coming years as more businesses and individuals seek to protect their IP assets. Some factors driving the demand for IP law include the strong economy and the growing tech sector. The presence of “. Retire as informações de autoria.
What is the most common type of lawyer?
There are several types of lawyers – some specialize in unique niches, but others practice in common fields of law. Continue reading to learn more about the most common lawyers and how to select the right one for your case.
A good family lawyer acts as a mediator during a divorce case and handles the situation with logic and rationale. Other responsibilities of a family lawyer include advising clients on their legal options, drafting contracts and negotiations, resolving family disputes, and writing prenuptial agreements.
The Personal Injury Lawyer will take all the stress of dealing with this case away. They will deal with the responsible party, the insurance company, hospital, doctor, and anything necessary to file the claim. Duffy & Duffy Attorneys at Law is a reputable firm that handles Personal Injury cases. A Personal Injury Lawyer will help you get compensation for your injuries and expenses like medical bills, damaged property, and any lost wages.
Corporate lawyers work on contracts by negotiating, drafting, and reviewing legally binding agreements for their clients. They are involved in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, securities, and corporate governance. Most of their time is spent out of the courtroom helping their clients avoid litigation.
An Immigration Lawyer will handle all the paperwork and offer guidance and advice regarding the information you need to gather and the steps you must follow because a minor error can have your application rejected.
A lawyer specializing in Medical Malpractice will investigate your case and deal with the doctor, hospital, and all other parties to get a fair claim. Your lawyer will file for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering you endured due to negligence or mistakes of the healthcare provider.
Some key responsibilities of a criminal lawyer include negotiating plea bargains, offering advice to their clients, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and doing research.
The lawyer will deal with insolvency matters and advise you on the different types of bankruptcy options available and the best one that suits your situation. They’ll also inform you of the other options apart from bankruptcy that you can consider and work on financial restructuring, plan confirmations, and valuation disputes.
Consider the lawyer’s experience. A lawyer who has experience with an issue similar to yours can offer advice and guidance based on real situations and cases which is likely more valuable than theoretical knowledge. You can learn about a lawyer’s experience by asking for references and asking them about similar cases they’ve worked on in the past. Other important considerations are costs and the location. It’s essential because laws are different in each state, so it’s best to find a lawyer in your region familiar with the state’s law. Dealing with legal matters can be costly so do your homework beforehand. Ask for quotes and find out how clients are billed. If the rate you are offered is out of.
What are the 7 types of discrimination?
A protected class includes individuals who are legally protected from employment discrimination based on certain characteristics. The federal laws establishing protected classes include:
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act – race, color, sex, religion and national origin
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) – age 40 and over
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Americans with Disability Act Amendments Act of 2008 – disability
- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act – genetic information
- Pregnant Workers Fairness Act – pregnancy
Age discrimination involves treating someone (an applicant or employee) less favorably because of age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) only forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older. It does not protect workers under the age of 40, although some states do have laws that protect younger workers from age discrimination. It is not illegal for an employer or other covered entity to favor an older worker over a younger one, even if both workers are 40 or older.
Disability discrimination occurs when an employer or other entity covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, or the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, treats a qualified individual with a disability who is an employee or applicant unfavorably because of a disability. Disability discrimination also occurs when a covered employer or other entity treats an applicant or employee less favorably because of someone having a history of a disability (such as cancer that is controlled or in remission) or because someone is believed to have a physical or mental impairment that is not transitory lasting or expected to last six months or less and minor, even if someone does not have such an impairment.
Under Title II of GINA, it is illegal to discriminate against employees or applicants because of genetic information. Title II of GINA prohibits the use of genetic information in making employment decisions, restricts employers and other entities covered by Title II (employment agencies, labor organizations and joint labor-management training and apprenticeship programs – referred to as “covered entities”) from requesting, requiring or purchasing genetic information, and strictly limits the disclosure of genetic information.
Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA). Harassment is unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, or pregnancy), national origin, older age (beginning at age 40), disability, or genetic information (including family medical history). Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.
What to do if you feel you are being discriminated against?
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces Federal laws that protect you from discrimination in employment. If you believe you’ve been discriminated against at work or in applying for a job, the EEOC may be able to help.
Under the EEOC’s laws, an employer may not discriminate against you, regardless of your immigration status, on the bases of:
- All aspects of employment, including:
Contact the EEOC promptly if you suspect discrimination. Do not delay, because there are strict time limits for filing a charge of discrimination (180 or 300 days, depending on where you live/work).
You can reach the EEOC in any of the following ways:
Additional information about the EEOC, including information about filing a charge of discrimination, is available at www.eeoc.gov.
The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) enforces the nondiscrimination and affirmative action commitments of companies doing business with the Federal Government. If you are applying for a job with, or are an employee of, a company with a Federal contract or subcontract, you are protected under Federal law from discrimination on the following bases:
- Executive Order 11246, as amended, prohibits employment discrimination by Federal contractors based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, and requires affirmative action to ensure equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment.
- Executive Order 11246, as amended, protects applicants and employees of Federal contractors from discrimination based on inquiring about, disclosing, or discussing their compensation or the compensation of other applicants or employees.
- Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, protects qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment by Federal contractors. Disability discrimination includes not making reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or employee, barring undue hardship to the employer. Section 503 also requires that Federal contractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities at all levels of employment, including the executive level.
- The Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended, 38 U.S.C. 4212, prohibits employment discrimination against, and requires affirmative action to recruit, employ, and advance in employment, disabled veterans, recently separated veterans (i.e., within three years of discharge or release from active duty), active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, or Armed Forces service medal veterans.
Retaliation is prohibited against a person who files a complaint of discrimination, participates in an OFCCP proceeding, or otherwise opposes discrimination.
How to tell HR you are being discriminated against?
Have you been discriminated against at work? Perhaps a manager or co-worker has discriminated against you. Or, a supervisor has yelled racial epithets at you. Both common sense and your employer’s internal policies dictate that you report this illegal conduct to the Human Resources department immediately. What happens next can have a serious impact on your job and future at the company. It is important to know that how you go about reporting discrimination or harassment in the workplace is critical, and can determine whether you ultimately achieve justice or become a victim.
The truth (and it is a hard truth) is that the Human Resources department is not your friend. You cannot and should not assume the good will of your HR rep. The purpose of the corporate Human Resources department is not to protect you, but to protect the interests and goals of management and the company.
Yes, there will be times when doing the right thing in response to a legitimate report of discrimination and protecting the company will coincide. But all too often, the company will believe that it is in its best interests to ignore your complaint, whitewash your complaint, or even worse, to get rid of you as a “troublemaker.”
Make sure that when you report discrimination or unlawful harassment, you do so in a way that maximizes the legal protections afforded to you and places you in the best possible position if litigation later becomes necessary. Below, we’ll go over some simple do’s and don’ts when it comes to reporting discrimination or unlawful harassment to HR.
You should have evidence and proof that you in fact complained and reported the discriminatory conduct. The best way to do this is to put it in writing and have some type of confirmation that you submitted it. Employees who merely “call” the HR rep and have a verbal conversation alone are at a great disadvantage. What you reported, and even whether you reported anything at all, can then be in dispute.
Make sure to include the following information in your letter to HR. You’ll want to address the person by name, include the date at the top of the letter, and your name, address, and phone number at the bottom. After the salutation, state the following:
Under the law, in order to be protected from retaliation, you must make clear that you are reporting words or conduct that are in violation of state and federal anti-discrimination laws. As such, your letter needs to specifically state that you are being subjected to “discrimination” or “unlawful harassment” on the basis of your race, sex, age, or other protected status.
Vague and general complaints about being treated “unfairly,” being “bullied”, or being subjected to “micro-aggressions” are NOT sufficient. If you don’t explicitly use the words “discrimination” or “unlawful harassment” in your letter, the company may argue that you did not complain of discrimination, and therefore that you have no protection from being terminated for your complaint.
How can discrimination occur in the workplace?
Discrimination means treating some people differently from others. It isn’t always unlawful – after all, people are paid different wages depending on their status and skills. However, there are certain reasons for which your employer can’t discriminate against you by law.
Discrimination happens when an employer treats one employee less favourably than others. It could mean a female employee being paid less than a male colleague for doing the same job, or an employee from a minority ethnic community being refused the training opportunities offered to other colleagues.
There are specific laws against some types of discrimination (called ‘unlawful discrimination’). If your employer treats you less favourably for an unlawful reason, you may be able to take action. If your employer treats you unfairly for any other reason, this is not unlawful discrimination.
There are laws against discrimination on the basis of your:
- Sex
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage or civil partnership status
- Pregnancy or maternity leave
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
There are also laws which forbid workers from being dismissed or treated less favourably than other workers because they do:
- Work part-time
- Work full-time
- Have a disability
Legislation protects employees from discrimination of different types.
Direct discrimination happens when an employer treats an employee less favourably than someone else because of one of the above reasons. For example, it would be direct discrimination if a driving job was only open to male applicants.
There are limited circumstances in which an employer might be able to make a case for a genuine occupational requirement for the job. For example, a Roman Catholic school may be able to restrict applications for a scripture teacher to baptised Catholics only.
Indirect discrimination is when a working condition or rule disadvantages one group of people more than another. For example, saying that applicants for a job must be clean shaven puts members of some religious groups at a disadvantage.
Indirect discrimination is unlawful, whether it is done on purpose or not. It is only allowed if it is necessary for the way the business works, and there is no other way of achieving it. For example, the condition that applicants must be clean shaven might be justified if the job involved handling food and it could be shown that having a beard or moustache was genuine hygiene risk.
You have the right not to be harassed or made fun of at work or in a work-related setting (for example, an office party).
Harassment means offensive or intimidating behaviour – sexist language or racial abuse, which aims to humiliate, undermine or injure its target or has that effect. For example, allowing displays or distribution of sexually explicit material or giving someone a potentially offensive nickname.
Victimisation means treating somebody less favourably than others because they tried to make, or made, a complaint about discrimination. For example, it could be preventing you from going on training courses, taking unfair disciplinary action against you, or excluding you from company social events.
If you are treated unfairly, but it is not for one of th