The California Employment Lawyers Association

Learn about FREE legal resources you can use to find the Top Employment Lawyers In California

California Employment Lawyers Association is a statewide group of over 1,200 California Employment Attorneys who focus their professions on representing employees in individual and class actions regarding unpaid wages, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and whistleblowing.

Through litigation, education, and advocacy, they assist their attorney members in protecting and expanding California employees' legal rights and opportunities.

The Founding of the California Employment Association

Whether local, national, or international, a group of attorneys organized primarily to deal with matters affecting the legal profession is known as a bar association, sometimes a legal association.

Bar associations are primarily focused on promoting the interests of lawyers. For example, this could include advocating for legislation reforms, funding research projects, or enforcing professional standards.

Bar associations occasionally administer exams for admission to practice law, and they may supervise apprenticeship programs.

On November 8, 1986, William M. Crosby founded the California Employment Lawyers Association. The first meeting was supposed to take place on November 1, 1986, but it was rescheduled until November 8, 1986. The first meeting took place in Irvine, California.

William M. Crosby, Susan J. Hartley, John C. McCarthy, Joseph Posner, Bennett Rolfe, Jim Stoneman, and William C. Quackenbush made up the inaugural Executive Board. The second CELA meeting (the first in northern California) was held in Burlingame on February 21, 1987.

The first California Employment Lawyers Association conference occurred in Los Angeles in 1987. The inaugural CELA Board, missing Bennett Rolfe, was photographed at the conference.

The California Employment Lawyers Association has filed amicus curiae briefs and argued for decades before the California Supreme Court in numerous significant employment law matters.

Hundreds of thousands of workers have been represented by CELA members in state and federal courts across California.

The California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) is a group of employment lawyers representing working people in California. However, as an organization, they do not represent individuals or provide legal advice.

They also don't refer you to employment lawyers. There are FREE legal resources available if you need to find a qualified California employment lawyer near you.

How To Find The Best Employment Attorney In California?

1. Your Local Bar Organization Or Certified Lawyer Referral Services

You can get in touch with the California Lawyer Referral Service in your area or call your local county bar organization for assistance in finding a lawyer.

A certified lawyer referral service will conduct a thorough background check on each employment lawyer to make sure they are ethical and free from any pending disciplinary actions.

To request a lawyer referral for employment-related cases, submit your request here.

You can also find a CA State Bar Attorney Refferal by visiting LawhelpCalifornia.org to learn more about a State Bar-certified lawyer referral service; calling the State Bar's Lawyer Referral Services Directory at 1-866-442-2529 (toll-free in California) or 1-415-538-2250 (from outside California)

2. Legal Assistance Organizations

If you can't afford a lawyer, a legal services program may be able to help you with non-criminal matters for free or at a reduced fee. This will be determined by your income as well as the nature of your legal issue.

Find legal aid offices in your area and learn what areas of law they cover at LawHelpCalifornia.org. In your county, you'll also find lawyer referral services and other free and low-cost resources.

You can also hunt for a legal assistance organization in your area by looking through the white pages of your phone book. When looking for legal aid online, be cautious because some firms will claim to be so when they are not. If you're not sure, check with your local bar association or a legal referral service.

3. Certified Legal Specialists

Some types of situations may need the services of a highly skilled attorney in a specific field of law. The State Bar maintains a list of attorneys who have earned certification as specialists in specific fields of law.

Los Angeles Employment Law Attorneys may only market themselves as certified specialists if they have been certified by the State Bar of California or an organization approved by the State Bar to certify such attorneys.

California Employment Law Issues After Covid-19

California Labor Code Section 6401

"Every employer shall furnish and use safety measures and safeguards,... which are reasonably appropriate to render such employment and place of employment safe and healthful," according to California Labor Code Section 6401.

In addition, every employer must do all else reasonably necessary to preserve employees' lives, safety, and health."

Given what we know about the new coronavirus, it should be mandatory for firms whose employees must interact with the public to provide masks, gloves, soap, and sanitizing products. Despite this, there are several reports of front-line workers being refused these vital safeguards.

According to a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by The Washington Post, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported almost 3,000 coronavirus-related complaints from January through early April, according to a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by The Washington Post.

That figure does not include all of the complaints submitted with state authorities, such as Cal/OSHA in California, which receives similar employee complaints.

Aside from health and safety equipment and standards, what about employees who request to work remotely, many of whom are in vulnerable situations due to health concerns and the virus threat?

State law also provides some protection in this situation. If an employee has a condition that makes them more susceptible to the virus and wishes to work from home, refusing to do so may violate California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Similarly, suppose an employee lives with someone who has a disability that makes them more susceptible to the virus.

In that case, the employee should request work-from-home accommodation to reduce the risk to the person they live. Because an employee who is "connected with" a person with a disability has accommodation rights, refusing to accept the request could violate the FEHA.

Importantly, an employer must pay an employee for any fees incurred in obtaining appropriate safety equipment or otherwise keeping oneself safe (yes, that protective equipment made from store-bought swim goggles and trash bags is reimbursable).

Suppose an employee is compelled to self-isolate away from home because they reside with someone who has the virus or is vulnerable to the virus. In that case, even accommodation fees may be reimbursable under state law.

Suppose an employee demands safety equipment, safer working circumstances, or safety accommodations, such as working from home. The employer responds by firing, suspending, or imposing another hardship on the employee. In that case, the employee may have a legal claim.

Threats, intimidation, or coercion to force any employee to take unreasonable safety risks, including the threat of wrongful termination, can be a violation of Civil Code 52.1, which prohibits interfering, or attempting to interfere with the exercise or enjoyment of rights guaranteed by the Constitution or laws of the United States or California, through threat, intimidation, or coercion sometimes leading to wrongful termination.

Retaliation for safety or health complaints is illegal under California Labor Code 6310 and 6311, and employees who refuse to undertake dangerous job activities are protected. Retaliation against healthcare whistle-blowers is also prohibited by Health and Safety Code 1278.5.

The legal ramifications of those safeguards make it even more critical that businesses fulfill their legal commitment to ensure safe workplaces. California employment law provides substantial protection for employers who do not take that commitment seriously or retaliate against their employees.

Workers should utilize their legal rights and speak with an employment lawyer if they continue to endure unsafe working conditions or retaliatory behavior.

We recognize that corporations are under enormous pressure in this new world, but they must remember that workers' lives are on the line. Now is the moment for businesses to step up to the plate and do everything they can to safeguard their workers.

To find the best employment lawyer in Los Angeles near you, submit your claim 24 hours a day for a free evaluation. You'll also be referred to pre-screened employment lawyers near you for a no-obligation and FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION.