Equal Employment Opportunity Law for Beginners
Getting familiar with resources available on equal employment opportunity laws
The first equal employment opportunity law was enacted in 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson signed an executive order to prohibit federal contractors (any business which does business with the federal government) from discriminating against employees based on race, sex, creed, national origin, religion or color.The executive order also requires contractors to put in place affirmative action plans to increase the participation of minorities and women in the workplace. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the government agency responsible for investigating discrimination complaints. The purpose of equal opportunity laws is to correct past inequities in the work place and prevent future ones from occurring. A basic course in equal opportunity law for beginners should encourage you to:
1. Learn what key governmental agencies are responsible for EEO law.
2. Discover the multitude of equal opportunity lawyers that are available to help you with litigation.
3. Find equal employment opportunity law for beginner’s resources.
Know the key governmental agencies and get familiar with equal employment laws
Familiarize yourself with the foremost agency responsible for investigating and upholding this law. Search out some legal resources that can give you a macro as well as a micro view of equal employment opportunity laws.
Try: U.S. Department of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is the official website for this agency. USLaw.com is an excellent website where you can get information on recent developments, cases and news.
Find equal opportunity lawyers in your city of state
EEOC lawyers specialize in representing individuals who feel they have been subjected to unequal treatment based on legally protected characteristics like sex, race, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation or religion. Some EEO lawyers represent companies being sued for discriminatory practices. So as you complete your research, make sure you understand which type of client the firm is capable of representing.
Try: Find Law is a terrific resource where you can find equal opportunity attorneys and information on equal opportunity law. Go to LexisNexis for a state-by-state listing, as well as, by city for equal opportunity attorneys.
Take advantage of EEO law resources and consultants
As you explore equal employment rights, you will find differences in interpretation state by state. You might also want to know what civil rights organizations you can go to for more information. EEO consultants can be engaged to investigate complaints of discrimination and can expedite the process in an objective and prompt manner.
Try: Go to NELA (the National Employment Lawyers Association) to search for court decisions down to the state level as well as a list of various civil rights organizations. EEO Consultants offer services to small and medium sized businesses that don’t have the resources internally to do investigations.
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