By Jill Kahn Marshall and Anna Beckelman On April 23, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy” which aims to “eliminate the use of disparate-impact liability in all contexts to the maximum degree possible to avoid violating the Constitution, Federal civil rights...
By Ethan Krasnoo Can an employer fire an employee shortly before the employee is due to collect a bonus and withhold the bonus payment? In a ruling from May 2, 2025, a New York appellate court has held the employer cannot do so, because the withholding of an earned bonus...
By Hannah R. Brefeld With the Supreme Court’s oral argument docket coming to an end, many are curious what the outcome will be for the “reverse racism” case heard this term: Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services,[1] where the plaintiff claims her employer discriminated against her because she was...
RPJ’s Daniel Ain was recently quoted in the Associated Press in an article examining the high-profile transfers of brothers Nico and Madden Iamaleava and the broader implications for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) buyouts in college football. Contracts between student-athletes and collectives – booster groups that support a specific university’s...
Last week, Heidi Reavis was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times regarding a series of lawsuits filed by 18-year-old Stanley Zhong and his father, Nan Zhong, alleging anti-Asian discrimination by multiple universities during the 2023 undergraduate admissions process. “Whiz kid” Stanley graduated from high school in 2023 in Palo Alto,...
As civil rights activists recently called on consumers to mount a one-day boycott of Target in late February, Vogue Business asked, “Is a consumer boycott brewing in the US?” That question has been squarely answered as calls for such boycotts have multiplied in protest of companies retreating from their diversity,...
by Nafsika Karavida Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are an essential part of how companies create fair and equitable workplaces. However, the way DEI is implemented can vary significantly between the United States and Europe. These differences are shaped by cultural, legal, and regulatory factors, resulting in distinct approaches...
By Gregory Feit On January 13, 2025, oral argument in the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to be held in Stanley v. City of Sanford, Florida. The question presented is principally one of statutory interpretation, focusing on whether, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a former employee –...
In a recent article for Success.com, RPJ’s Nafsika Karavida explores the escalating trademark dispute between WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg and hosting provider WP Engine. She provides valuable insight into the legal complexities of the case and the potential impact on businesses that depend on the open-source CMS. The article describes...
By Gregory P. Feit Last month, in 1-800 Contacts, Inc. v. JAND, Inc., DBA Warby Parker, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit addressed whether purchasing a competitor’s trademarks in the context of keyword search advertising amounts to trademark infringement. Adopting what it termed the “consensus view,”...