2024 Webinar: DEI, Private Employers, Affirmative Action: Where Things Stand One Year After SCOTUS Ruling Striking Down Race-Based Admissions Policies in Higher Education

The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Forum hosted a complimentary webinar on September 10, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. Central Time titled, “DEI, Private Employers, Affirmative Action: Where Things Stand One Year After SCOTUS Ruling Striking Down Race-Based Admissions Policies in Higher Education.” CLE credit can be acquired in most states for this webinar. Please note that this webinar has been approved for 1 hour of Professional Responsibility credit in Illinois.

Click HERE to view the webinar recording.

Webinar Materials: 

• Webinar Agenda
• Webinar PowerPoint

About the Webinar:

This presentation will review the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, which declared consideration of race in university admissions policies violated the Equal Protection Clause. Since the decision in June 2023, SFFA v. Harvard has been cited in numerous cases around the country, not only in higher education admissions policies but also in the employer-employee context, including discrimination claims against private employers. Additionally, the webinar plans to highlight and discuss select employment cases affected by the SCOTUS decision while addressing the impact of the SCOTUS decision on DEI efforts and recommend approaches to diversity initiatives in the private sector.

Speakers:

CAROLINE VICKREY is the Labor and Employment Department co-chair at Johnson & Bell, Ltd., the ALFA International member firm in Chicago, IL. Caroline was an assistant attorney general in the Labor & Employment Division of the attorney general’s office, where she defended employment-based civil rights cases in federal court. She has extensive experience advising small, mid-size and Fortune-500 corporations and individual employees on claims of sexual harassment and age, gender, disability and other workplace discrimination, from charges brought before the Illinois Human Rights Commission or U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to direct claims filed in state and federal court. Caroline has a sub-specialty in mental health-related laws and has handled cases involving fitness-for-duty examinations, workplace threats and workplace violence. She has defended cases of workplace gender violence, sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Often, clients have the goal of avoiding court altogether, and Caroline has advised clients on non-compete agreements and helped draft and respond to cease-and-desist letters. She has also advised clients regarding compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, WARN Act, Equal Pay Act, Workplace Transparency Act and dozens of the new Illinois employment laws passed in the past several years. She has handled Wage & Hour Act claims as well as breach of contract claims and defamation claims arising in the employment setting. Caroline combines litigation skills from her extensive experience in civil jury trials and negotiating skills from the many matters that seek fair but efficient out-of-court resolution.

AMY YARBRO is a partner with Morrison Mahoney LLP, the ALFA International member firm in Boston, MA. Her practice includes a wide range of employment matters involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour issues, ADA compliance and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) / Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFML) matters. She represents clients before Massachusetts state and federal courts, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other state and federal agencies.