PRACTITIONER BLOG
Read our analyses of developments in Impact Litigation and stay current on class action law
RESPONDING TO THE RESTRICTION OF EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION CLASS ACTIONS
The arc of employment discrimination class action law is bending away from justice. As a result, plaintiffs’ lawyers frequently have to self-censor, generally in the opening complaint or the class certification motion, or as we did in Simpson at the 23(f) stage. Maximizing the chances for certification may require defining the class or multiple small classes so as to eliminate potential class members, claims, or forms of relief. Unfortunately, this type of self-censorship deprives employees of the possibility of obtaining the types of broad reforms that we were once able to achieve and hopefully can again pursue in the future as the law evolves.
Economic Justice: Resisting Zombie Claims by SSA
Imagine receiving a notice from the IRS that your long-awaited tax refund has been withheld by the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) because you were once paid Social Security benefits and SSA has identified a benefit overpayment that occurred over a decade ago — or one of your parents was once paid Social Security benefits on your behalf over a decade ago and SSA identified an overpayment. If the withheld amount was $2,100, would you go out and find an attorney to represent you in an individual case against the SSA?