Many of us have sat in an orientation meeting at our new job and listened to the workplace harassment warnings given by someone from the HR department. It seems like anytime you pick up the paper you read about a new harassment case of some kind. Well, not too long ago, employment law and sexual harassment did not even exist. In fact, it wasn’t until 1990 that an amendment to the civil rights laws brought the idea of workplace discrimination into sight.

Murray Schwartz has been practicing law since 1949. You may have heard his name mentioned before. After all, he is managing partner of Schwartz & Perry, LLP, a well-known employment law firm focusing on workplace harassment on the basis of sex, age, race, and disability. This is an area of law that he has become very passionate about and to which he has devoted his entire practice. A certified expert in the field, Murray has spent years educating his peers on the many aspects of employment law through lectures and counseling. He has become a well respected member of the law community and deserves everything he has achieved.

Murray Schwartz and his daughter, Davida Perry, won the first sexual harassment case in the US in 1990 called Thoreson v. Guccione and Penthouse Magazine. The ruling in this case set an extremely important precedent in employment law, that a defendant could establish a claim of sexual harassment against his or her employer based solely on the testimony of the victim. Many of today’s sexual harassment laws can be traced back to the ruling that Murray Schwartz won years ago.

Another important case that Schwartz & Perry has tried is Bracker v. Cohen. In 1991, the City of New York enacted a Human Rights Law authorizing a private cause of judicial action for victims of employment discrimination. The New York City law was challenged and Mr. Schwartz successfully argued at both the trial court and the appellate level on behalf of the law’s constitutionality. His position was upheld in both courts and as a result, New York City has the benefits of an effective New York City Human Rights Law.

Additionally, a jury in the New York County Supreme Court, awarded a Schwartz & Perry client in the case of McIntyre v. Manhattan Ford, an award of $6.6 million dollars in a sexual harassment and retaliation suit. This was the highest award that had been granted to a single plaintiff in a sexual harassment claim.  Although the award was reduced to $3.1 million dollars on appeal, on the ground that the court considered the jury verdict too high, the reduced award stands as one of the highest jury awards for a single plaintiff in a sexual harassment case in the United States.

These three cases Thoreson, Bracker and McIntyre, have frequently been referred to as the "trilogy" of cases, each of which is highly significant in the development of the field of employment law. Schwartz & Perry understandably considers themselves privileged to have been the attorneys for the plaintiff in each of those three landmark cases.

Murray Schwartz is also a faculty member with Lawline.com. He has presented lectures that can be viewed for CLE credits on Age Discrimination and Trial Strategies for Employment Law. In the following video, Mr. Schwartz shares with us first hand that employment law and workplace harassment cases have unique challenges. There are a number of reasons for this of course, most importantly because is that it happens behind closed doors. There is usually a lack of evidence, a lack of witnesses, and a cover-up that naturally took place. However, Mr. Schwartz has continued to break down barriers and overcome hurdles to make these issues heard. For all of that we honor him, and praise his continued devotion to the field.

Featured Interview with attorneys at Schwartz & Perry

Lawyers across the country are faced with the time consuming task of completing mandatory continuing education courses to continue to practice in their respective states. But in an age where new technology seems to be changing the way we do everything, lawyers are now presented with a number of ways to make this task easier than ever before.

Newer options for lawyers include online video and audio courses, downloadable video and mp3 files, web seminars and lectures, and cd's. Each of these available options can be obtained from a wide variety of companies. So rather than attending lengthy seminars and traveling long distances just to get credits, lawyers can now receive credit in a few simple steps from their home or office.

One of the most important things in the growth of online cle trends is the fact that lawyers everywhere need to learn of their options. Without the information, lawyers will never know how much easier their lives could be. Even the President of the New York State Bar Association recognizes this issue . Too many lawyers out there are still practicing the same old routines when it comes to CLE. Once these options are presented, the next step is learning how to use them to your advantage. Simple research can be done to find the easiest and most cost effective way of completing the mandatory number of credits.

There are a surprising number of companies that now offer these online cle options. Many of them have been in the cle industry for a long time, and are just recently adding the online option. But some newer companies are taking advantage of the new market created by these opportunities. Sorting through these companies may take time, but in the long run will save you the frustration of overpaying for useless information. For example, a google search for the term “online cle” returns over 2 million sites.

This just goes to show how popular new CLE technology is becoming. It is a trend that is sure to continue into the distant future, and one that is becoming ever more practical today

Let's face it, CLE can be a pain most of the time. But, since it’s mandatory, there is no sense in complaining. Why not figure out a way to cut the time it takes to complete the requirements as much as possible. There is one proven solution that I know of, and that is to become a lecturer. For example, in New York, if you present a lecture on a topic of your choice that is approved for CLE credit, you get three times the credit that the course is worth.

This is not a lie. Many states use a system just like this to help regulate the continuing education. They encourage people to give lectures and presentations on topics that you know well. For example, if you are a Personal Injury lawyer with a lot of knowledge in the field, why not give a one hour lecture and receive three credits, just for teaching us what you already know.

Lecturing can do many things. As we already discussed, it helps you complete your CLE requirements. Also, this is a way to advertise your personal practice or the law firm you represent. It gets your name out there in a positive way and keeps you in the public eye. So, in essence, it is a win-win opportunity for lawyers everywhere. For more information on becoming a lecturer with Lawline.com, check out the advertising page of the website.

Welcome to the Lawline Blog. This blog was created as a resource for lawyers on a number of different topics. Primarily, it will inform you of many changes and updates related to continuing legal education (CLE), but it will also include interesting events related to law in general . Ever since CLE has become mandatory in most of the country, the topic has not been discussed openly in any kind of format. This will be the first blog if its kind and hopefully will be seen as a valuable resource to attorney’s nationwide.

Readers will be able to submit comments to this blog, as well as submit articles for review and possible publishing on the site. By sharing our thoughts and ideas, the blog will become the ultimate networking and information resource in the CLE world.

This blog is begin sponsored by Lawline.com. Lawline.com has been offering online continuing legal education since 1999. It offers over 300 courses in several different formats, including online video/audio and mp3 downloads. These courses cover a wide range of topics from Personal Injury Law to Corporate Law, from Litigation to Ethics.

Thank you for your interest. We hope that you will take this blog as an opportunity to learn about recent trends as they relate to law and CLE. We also hope you take advantage of the interactive features offered to readers. Remember to check back from time to time to see what’s new, enjoy.