When people think of a “protected class,” they often think of age, race, gender, or disability. While those are some of the classes protected by anti-discrimination laws, often-overlooked classes include honorably discharged...more
On June 24, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in the case of Feliciano v. Department Of Transportation. The Supreme Court will review the Federal Circuit’s decision affirming the Merit Systems Protection Board’s...more
In a landmark settlement, a property management company and its landlord have agreed to pay a significant sum following allegations of violating the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern...more
Most employers are well aware that the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, (“USERRA”) requires businesses to grant protected leave to employees called to active duty or engaged in reserve training. ...more
A couple of months ago, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a research paper it said revealed that many active duty servicemembers who were entitled to interest rate reductions under the federal Servicemembers...more
On March 3, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint against a towing company located near a Marine base alleging violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act’s (SCRA) prohibition against default...more
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision serves as a reminder that employers must not overlook their obligations to reemploy returning service members and accommodate service-related disabilities....more
In a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court held state agencies are not immune from claims brought under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) in the case Torres v. Texas Department of...more
On June 29, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Torres v. Texas Department of Public Safety, No. 20-603. The Court held that a State may not invoke sovereign immunity as a legal defense to block a civil lawsuit filed against...more
In a case of first impression in Ohio, the Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas held that R.C. § 1343.031, Ohio’s version of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), does not apply to residential mortgages. This decision...more
A new Virginia law expands the state’s prohibitions on discrimination in residential real estate transactions and in employment against military members. HB 2161 adds “military status” to the list of protected classes of...more
Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring military veterans, who are people who have served in the United States Armed Forces. On this special day, it is also a time to remember workplace protections...more
The U.S. government is on the brink of giving active duty military personnel half a legal loaf when it comes to a fundamental constitutional right — their chance to seek justice in the civil courts if they suffer harms while...more
In 2013 the United States Department of Defense founded Skill Bridge, a program that partners the U.S. Armed Forces with private employers to provide internships to active duty service members during their last six months of...more
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act offers servicemembers financial protections, including the ability to have interest rates reduced to 6%, when a servicemember is called to active duty after entering into a credit...more
Although members of Congress have fled the nation’s capital for their annual August recess, there’s guarded optimism that lawmakers may be open to reversing a seven-decades-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling that bars active duty...more
The U.S. Supreme Court has left it up to Congress to decide if service members may pursue in the civil justice system claims that they have suffered harms while seeking medical services, a fundamental civil right now denied...more
Members of Congress have taken steps aimed at allowing service members to pursue actions in the civil justice system when they suffer harms while seeking medical services, a fundamental civil right now denied to military...more
You probably already know that the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (“USERRA”) generally requires an employer to restore an employee to his or her previous position of employment upon returning from...more
On September 19, 2018, California enacted AB-3212. The Bill amends the California Military and Veterans Code to expand the protections offered to qualifying servicemembers under state law and to impose new criminal penalties...more
On January 5, 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims rejected the assertion by the Veteran’s Administration (VA) and the Board of Veterans Appeals (the Board) that a service member who requested a...more
In 2008 Congress passed legislation which extended the protection from foreclosure actions for active duty servicemembers for up to 9 months after the end of a servicemember’s military service. In 2012, Congress extended...more
On July 21, 2015, the Department of Defense (DOD) adopted sweeping changes to its rules that implement the Military Lending Act (MLA). The amended rules significantly expand the scope of the MLA provisions by covering both...more
Since the law has been on the books for over a decade, most employers know that employees serving in our armed services who are called to active or reserve duty are entitled to job reinstatement, within certain parameters,...more
Not only student loan servicers, but all companies, particularly those subject to the CFPB’s supervisory authority, face new compliance risk under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (the “SCRA”) as a result of the stunning...more