Federal government contractors are well aware of the importance of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and its Affirmative Action Program obligations. The OFCCP’s audit and enforcement activities – and the consequences of a contractor’s failure to comply with regulatory requirements – are of critical importance to the contractor community.

On June 17, the Attorneys for Family Held Enterprises (AFHE) held a midyear conference in New York City.

It is the second half of a hard-fought basketball game on your home court. A missed shot puts the ball up for grabs. A scuffle ensues: some elbowing, some shoving, and then things really get out of hand. One of your players punches a visiting player, breaking his nose. The injured player claims your coach is also to blame because he kept yelling for more aggressive play and praising players who committed fouls. Can the university be held vicariously liable for the actions of its player and coach

The Eleventh Circuit recently addressed the issue of a student’s First Amendment protections in the context of the Pledge of Allegiance and silent prayer. <I>Holloman v. Harland, </I>2004 WL 1178465 (11th Cir. May 28, 2004). The <I>Holloman </I>court held that the First Amendment protects a student’s right to raise his fist in silent protest during the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) currently is considering a draft of a proposed rule that would require the person responsible for site rehabilitation (PRSR) to promptly notify neighbors, including adjacent property owners and residents, of any off-site contamination.

In a 6-3 decision, the United States Supreme Court recently held that an employer could provide favorable treatment for older employees without discriminating against those within the protected age group who are younger. In so doing, the Supreme Court reversed the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee) in General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc. v. Cline.

In the past, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) did not require companies to report liabilities for environmental conditions, such as contaminated facilities or buildings with asbestos-containing materials, unless there was a pending or threatened legal proceeding associated with the condition.

Water supply in the U.S. historically has been considered a matter of "right" by many landowners, particularly in the western regions. Fortunately, problems were typically tied to distribution – getting the water from areas of surplus to areas of need.

In a lawsuit that may have enormous national implications, Costco Wholesale Corp., the warehouse club chain that has become the nation’s largest wine retailer, recently sued the Washington Liquor Board. Washington is the home state of Costco.

Verisign, Inc., one of the largest domain name registrars, is seeking to implement a "waiting list" service for would-be domain name registrants looking to register soon-to-expire <I>.com</I> domain names.

Recently, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia addressed the standing and constitutional issues surrounding state colleges denying admission to aliens who are actually or "perceived" to be illegal aliens in <I>Equal Access Education v. Merten</I>.

In a decision involving an effort by the United Auto Workers to organize graduate students’ assistants at Brown University, a majority of the members of the National Labor Relations Board held that since they are not "employees" under Section 2(3) of the National Labor Relations Act, they have no right to engage in collective bargaining.

A case decided last month by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas illustrates the potential dangers that can accompany "good acts" and serving on boards for little or no compensation.

This spring, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced plans to strengthen its enforcement of existing intellectual property laws, at the same time Congress is considering legislation that would enhance criminal sanctions for piracy and file-sharing as well as increase funding for DoJ and FBI initiatives.