I appreciate contributing to the below article posted to Bloomberg Law written by Jacquie
Lee and Jay-Anne B. Casuga.
Sharon Fast Gustafson, the general counsel nominee for the EEOC,
hopes to focus more energy on mediation than litigation, which she
described as "necessary" but also an "expensive,
imperfect tool."
"Resolution of disputes without litigation is an important
part of the lawyer's job, just as it is an important part of
the EEOC's function," she said before the Senate Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions Committee April 10. As general
counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Gustafson
would manage the agency's litigation program.
Gustafson's emphasis on conciliatory measures mirrors
sentiments expressed by Janet Dhillon, the nominee to chair the
EEOC. That could signal that the agency might become less
aggressive in filing lawsuits against employers and more prone to
mediation and conciliation. Dhillon, who also awaits
