Recently, many of my clients and friends have been discussing problems and questions surrounding negotiating their pay.  One observed that, after negotiating her starting pay with her employer, her supervisor branded her as a trouble-maker – a reputation that, when she asked for a raise two years later, led to them (wrongfully) terminating her.  Along […]

For some entries, Lady Lawyer Lessons will respond to questions from the readership.  Questions submitted will be presented in a way that protects the anonymity of the questioner to the extent possible. Q.  Hey Lady Lawyer!  I’m having some problems at work with one of my supervisors that feels a lot like gender discrimination.  My […]

Lately, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about what it means to take a stand in the workplace.  Perhaps it was the hubbub around the threat to retaliate against Emma Watson that got me thinking about it.  Perhaps it was hearing my client Donna Kassman talk about why she chose to come forward and file […]

In the early 1900s, a U.S. industrialist named Henry Kaiser was making money left and right and amassing an incredible amount of success and wealth while also securing a reputation as being relatively friendly to workers and labor interests.  One quote attributed to him is the comment, “when you’re work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.” […]

The fall season represents new beginnings.  For many graduate students, the fall season also marks the time when “on campus recruiting” or other events force a focus on what job the student is going to go to after graduation.  These events require eager students to identify the specific type of work they want to do, […]

Last week, a federal judge in New York ordered that notice of a lawsuit under the federal Equal Pay Act be sent to at least 7,000 female employees at KPMG—one of the nation’s “Big 4” tax, audit and accounting firms.  The lawsuit details how KPMG illegally paid female professionals less than it paid men for […]

A performance review.  An unexpected meeting called by Human Resources.  A conversation where you’ll be requesting a raise or a promotion.  A discussion where you report a colleague who has been saying inappropriate things. It’s understandable why a smart employee – particularly in our technologically-dependent world – would think it was a great idea to […]