CELA’s Annual Employment Law Conference took place in sunny Orange County. This was our 29th annual conference . . . and how we have grown! Attendance was record-breaking. CELA welcomed 200 attendees to the pre-conference Wage and Hour Bootcamp and 500 attendees to its two-day conference. These are the largest numbers to date of any CELA conference, and we thank everyone who contributed to this outstanding event.
The enthusiasm began on Thursday during the Wage and Hour Bootcamp. Attendees learned basics of wage and hour law, how to handle administrative hearings, and the nuts and bolts of litigation. Reviews and comments were consistently great, including those from experienced attorneys. The materials received just as high marks as the speakers, and that’s quite an accomplishment.
After the Bootcamp, all were invited to the President’s Reception. This reception is one way CELA thanks the many CELA member volunteers who help CELA fulfill its mission by forming and working on CELA’s committees and projects, and increasing our organization’s good name in the legal community. Thank you again to each one of you who make our committees vibrant and active!
Early Friday morning, CELA offered its inaugural Mindfulness for Attorneys session to help members navigate the often stressful and emotional work we do. This program was so well attended that it may soon become a repeating event.
CELA began the formal conference with strong encouragement from our CELA Chair, Jean Hyams, that we all remain politically vigilant and engaged during this important election year. Following this message of unity, the conference continued with a plenary on how to avoid oppressive settlement terms. Panelists offered fun visuals and helpful tips about confidentiality, arbitration, non-cooperation clauses, ethics, and many settlement issues we all face on a regular basis. Next, we found “just cause” to celebrate some solid court and legislative wins during the Annual Employment Law Update on forced arbitration, presented by Cliff Palefsky. Attendees then had a chance to choose break-out sessions on forced arbitration, the Fair Pay Act, or implicit bias.
Our Friday luncheon program featured keynote speaker Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, who has been a stellar supporter of legislation that helps working people and their attorneys. Sen. Jackson, who authored the Fair Pay Act, shared insight on the inner workings of the California senate. She encouraged us to interact with local leaders about the upcoming legislative battles affecting California workers. The lunch program concluded with the annual Joe Posner Award. In an engaging and emotional speech, this year’s recipient, J. Bernard Alexander, shared his steps toward becoming a leader among plaintiffs’ employment lawyers. Bernard reminded us of the critical role Joe Posner played in advancing the rights of workers. Joe did this by trying many of the California Supreme Court and appellate cases we rely on to this day, and by introducing attorneys like Bernard to employment law and the importance of being a generous community member.
The afternoon’s break-out sessions were on failure to accommodate cases, establishing joint employer liability, and litigating in Federal court. In our final plenary of the day, Lessons Learned from Winning, we highlighted five notable victories within our CELA community, including wins in disability accommodation, sexual harassment, and wage and hour cases.
After a long day, the Friday evening Annual Conference Reception gave us a chance for folks to unwind (and eat and drink!). It was also an opportunity for the Mentor Committee’s mentors and mentees to connect in person and solidify relationships. That night, we wrapped up our very first on-line auction. After two weeks of bidding which rose to a fever-pitch in the last hours, CELA raised nearly $20,000 through the generous donations and bidding of our members and supporters. We hope you all had fun!
On the final day of the conference, it was time for more celebration with our many legislative wins over the past year. Legislative Director Mariko Yoshihara and Legislative Committee co-chairs Wendy Musell and Scot Bernstein walked us through the details of the new laws we’ll be able to use right away. We also saw that we don’t always win. But the speakers showed us through video and story how our clients and their tales our can influence the way legislators think about significant employment laws. As an example, we saw employer representatives complaining about “greedy lawyers” taking advantage of the Private Attorney General Act (“PAGA”). Our job is to show the legislature the other side of the story–the human side. If you have clients whose stories about wage theft are compelling, please contact Mariko, especially if any of your clients might be a good candidate for speaking to the legislature.
Then, Andrew Friedman and Ramit Mizrahi entertained and educated us with their sweeping Year in Review, the annual update on new case law that can make our days or break our hearts. CELA is indeed fortunate that Andrew and Ramit are willing to devote the time needed for the intensive preparation that makes this session so helpful and so colorful every year.
After this, we were charged up by the ever-popular annual victories video created by Jennifer Kramer and Mariko Yoshihara–a lively spin through the many case successes our members enjoyed over the past year.
L to R: Christina Cheung, Lisa Mak, Jean Hyams, Dolores Leal, Jose Padilla, Tilak Gupta
CELA is glad so many conference-goers attended the annual Diversity Outreach Committee luncheon. This year’s keynote speaker, Jose Padilla, Execute Director of California Rural Legal Assistance (“CRLA”), spoke enthusiastically about the symbiotic relationship between CRLA and CELA and the respective roles in advancing the rights of workers, particularly those most vulnerable and poorly-paid. Jose encouraged us to remain steadfast warriors for our clients and for justice.
L to R: Bernard Alexander, Kashif Haque,
Wilmer Harris, Jean Hyams
The final plenary was an exciting one, with video excerpts from depositions selected to teach effective strategies for deposing harassers and corporate witnesses, and for dealing with recalcitrant defense counsel.
Sounds good, right? If you had to miss any of this year’s conference or the Wage and Hour Bootcamp, don’t despair. For the first time, CELA recorded each session and you will be able to buy the recordings at an affordable price. Please check CELA’s web site for details.
Next year’s annual conference will be CELA’s 30th! Come join your CELAmates in Oakland on October 20 and 21, 2017. As always, CELA will present an intensive skills seminar the day before (October 19, 2017). Check the CELA web site early next year for information on conference sessions, speakers, and the skills seminar. This will be one conference you definitely should not miss. In addition to the solid education and constant fun each conference offers, the 30th conference will include a special treat. Our sister organization, the Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion, and Resources (“FAIR”), is throwing CELA a birthday party!
Of course, none of this work is possible without CELA’s hard-working and wonderful staff making sure things run smoothly. Thank you all! We also have to thank Hilton Costa Mesa’s union hotel staff for guaranteeing we were comfortable and fed throughout the conference. Finally, thank you to CELA’s Education Committee for its year-long work to bring us another excellent conference.
We look forward to seeing you all next year!