Why you need an Attorney to fight your Discrimination Case

If you believe that you have been victim to discrimination at work, it is important that you know what your rights are. In addition, depending on how complex the case is, you may need to hire an experienced attorney who is focused on that field of law. Attorney Karen DeSoto offers the following insights.

What is the Scope of an Attorney? 

An employment discrimination attorney will better be able to assess the validity of a claim, and define the strategy to move forward.

● Assess Whether the Employer Discriminated Against You 

For illegal discrimination to take place, the incident(s) need to fall under a category that is protected by the federal or state anti-discrimination laws. Not all categories are obvious and therefore require the expertise of an attorney that understands the subtlety, nuances and interpretations in this area of the law.

● Gather and Present Evidence that Supports your Claim 

Proving the intent of your employer, superiors, coworkers, or anyone who discriminated against you at work can be tricky, especially since most people will not admit their bias. Your attorney will help gather evidence by subpoenaing key documents, taking depositions of witnesses and obtaining the right testimonies to help your case.

● Help Run a Cost-Benefit Analysis 

This is one of the biggest advantages of hiring an attorney. He or she will be able to walk you through the strong and weak points of your case, highlight the expenses and the amount of damages you can actually recover if you win.

Finally, your attorney will be able to layout your options and give you a correct perspective on where you stand in your discrimination case.

Privacy at Work – Does it exist?

As technology progresses at insurmountable rates, it is becoming easier for employers to watch you while you work. If workplace privacy is a concern for you, here are some insights by attorney Karen DeSoto –

Like it or not, Employers Monitor Online Activity 

Studies show that as many as 63% of employers in the US monitor internet connections at the workplace. This means that your employers have access to one or more of the following –
• Your emails
• What you browse on the web
• Your phone calls
• Your computer files
• Video recordings

Companies are also investing in computer software that allows them to monitor stored data on screens of workplace computer terminals. In data entry and word-processing jobs, it is common for employers to pursue keystroke monitoring. This refers to the number of keystrokes an individual makes within an hour.

Why are my Employers Tracking my Activities? 
Workplace terminals are monitored to assess productivity, compliance with company policies, make sure company data remains secure and gather actionable insights.

Furthermore, your social media activities are also probably being tracked by employers to ensure safety of company and client information and to make sure the personal information of other employers is not made public.

Employers also track social media accounts to ensure there is no criticism against employers, customers and subordinates.

Is this Legal? 
Generally speaking, employers do have the right to monitor workplace computers; especially since the networks and the hardware is owned by them. However, some union contracts may limit the nature of this monitoring.

3 Ways That Karen Desoto Provides Inspiration for the Youth

After successfully completing her education in law, earning a Juris Doctorate at the Beasley School of Law at Temple University, her career has never slowed down. 

Here are a few things that make her one of the most inspiring people that we have today!

She Knows What She Wants To Achieve

She then served as a public defender, prosecutor and then moved into private practice, eventually founding also the Center for Justice. She went on to become the younger lawyer (first woman and first Hispanic) to be appointed Chief Corporate Counsel for the city ofJersey City, New Jersey, where she oversaw a large legal department, working with all the city agencies 

She Cares For the Society

Though busy with her career, she never forgot where she came from. A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Karen always found time to give back. She gave of her time serving on the Boards of nonprofit and community organizations, and mentored young people. This earned her “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Bayonne Youth Center, and many other honors for her good work in the community.

She Aspires To Bring About Change

It was this aspiration that led Karen and David Weiss to co-found the Institute for Dispute Resolution, which has in its short existence already contributed to a new law in New Jersey, and sponsored students to compete in international mediation competitions.  

The Institute for Dispute Resolution – Creating a league of its own

Karen DeSoto in the last few years has focused her attention to the field of international mediation. She currently serves as a professor at New Jersey City University where she and David S. Weiss founded and co-direct the Institute for Dispute Resolution, while she continues to appear on television as a legal analyst at NBC News.

Previously she served as a practicing attorney; founded the Center for Legal Justice, and became the first women, first Hispanic, and youngest lawyer to ever be appointed Chief Counsel for the city of Jersey City, New jersey. For years she was active in workplace equality at a time when The Hudson Reporter named her to their list of Top 50 Most Influential people, calling her “a force to be reckoned with.”

These days Karen is mostly focused on the IDR, promoting international mediation in New jersey -- through the Applied Research Department of the IDR. In 2017 the New Jersey International Arbitration, Mediation, and Conciliation Act was signed into law, an initiative introduced by the IDR.

This year at the 12^th Annual International Commercial Mediation Competition in Paris, France, three students from the IDR, Justin Davis, Kaylee Saltos, and Leman Kaifa represented NJCU. They were the only business school students to be selected from the U.S.A., as all others were teams pulled from law schools.  

In the week-long mock mediation sessions, where students were given practical learning experience, the team from NJCU represented excellent skills and knowledge about the mediation field. The students were coached by Christian Corrales and Karen DeSoto, getting excellent insights about the legal world in general and the mediation and arbitration world in particular.

Last year Leman Kaifa was part of the team at the Consensual Dispute Resolution Competition (CDRC) in Vienna, Austria, and winning an Award for Best Opening Statements.

Karen DeSoto was quoted as saying, “We’re so immensely proud of our students. They competed at the highest levels. The entire experience I think has been great for all of us. The Institute has raised the profile of New Jersey City University, provided students to expand their knowledge and worldviews as they travel internationally — meeting and competing with other students from all over the world.”

The students of IDR (Institute for Dispute Resolution) have competed several times in Paris and Vienna to date. 

Students From The IDR Prove Their Mettle, Again!

The 12th ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition in Paris, France, was a brilliant portrayal of skills that college level students possess in the field of mediation and negotiation. It is a matter of pride to note that this globally-renowned event -- which selects group university teams from across the globe to participate in a week-long series mock mediation sessions -- selected just 66 schools from world over, and NJCU made the list.

Justin Davis, Leman Kaifa, and Kaylee Saltos, from NJCU, participated in the event.
  

Getting invited to such a prestigious event and proving your mettle in front of the whole world requires expertise and skills that are honed only by the right coaches. This excellent team was coached by Christian Corrales and Karen DeSoto. Corrales, who is an NJCU graduate and program alumnus of NJCU’s IDR, coached both the ICC and CDRC competitions in 2016. DeSoto, on the other hand, is the co-director of the IDR, the founder of the Center of Legal Justice and serves as an on-air legal analyst for highly acclaimed news channels today. Her experience and knowledge in the field helped in guiding the students outstandingly.

Being coached by the experts, these students were afforded the opportunity to put their classroom knowledge into practice, interacting with students, professors and legal professionals from around the world.

The Humanitarian side of Karen DeSoto

When people give selflessly to their community they often do so without seeking acknowledgements for it. At the same time they are often singled out for their contributions, as Karen DeSoto has been over the years. I have interviewed her on several occasions about the Institute for Dispute Resolution (she is co-founder and co-director) and her passions were always obvious -- equal rights, fairness in the workplace, humanitarian support, and education.

As a lifelong resident of New Jersey it is not surprising that that is where her efforts were mostly targeted.

In her early career she focused on her legal career, having earned a Juris Doctorate and Masters in Law for Trial Advocacy. She served as a public defender as many law graduates do, early on. Then, she gained experience on the other side of the law -- as a prosecutor.

By 2001 she was the first women (also the first Hispanic, and the youngest person) to be appointed Chief Counsel for the city of Jersey City. 

Busy bees tend to stay busy. And she did. All the while that she was appearing on television as an on-air legal analyst for a variety of news and magazine channels [such as ABC News, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC News) she was also buzzing about her neighborhood.

She was a guest speaker imparting knowledge to students at local colleges, and contributing time and energy at local organizations. The Bayonne Youth Community Center named her Humanitarian of the Year for her efforts on their behalf. She worked with the Ray of Hope Foundation, Head Start, and many others.

Despite her work with local community groups, she couldn’t ignore the law either, and she continued to be active in building coalitions in a push for equal rights, civil rights and workplace fairness. For those efforts The Hudson Reporter named Karen to their Top 50 Most Influential People list, calling her “a force to be reckoned with.”

Her work gained the attention of the NCAAP too, and they honored her alongside Senator Sandra Cunningham and four others.

At the 50^th Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Festival and Parade in 2010 she named Attorney of the Year. 

Currently Karen is immersed in her dedication to the Institute for Dispute Resolution, working with the applied research department to affect change in New Jersey policy, as well as giving her time to coach and mentor young students -- while also accompanying them on sponsored international competitions and events. 

How The Bill ‘S602’ Will Change The Face Of International Mediation In New Jersey?

There is some good news for all the international mediation enthusiasts out there! The Institute for Dispute Resolution (at New Jersey City University, school of Business) got its very first New Jersey policy success. The IDR applied research department work contributed to the passing of the Bill ‘S602’ which was signed into law by the Governor as the New Jersey International Arbitration, Mediation, and Conciliation Act, on February 7, 2017.

The co-founder and co-director of the institute, Karen DeSoto noted that this Bill had strong bipartisan support, from both Senators Sandra Cunningham and Tom Kean Jr. The Bill aims at positioning New Jersey as a hub for business meditations from all over the world. It is expected to give the much-needed boost to international trade in the state.

So far, there were no mechanisms for businesses to settle their disputes in New Jersey outside of full legal actions. With the passing of this Bill, mediation will become an important dispute resolution tool in NJ, making it one of only ten states that have passed such a legislation.

Now, with this law, designated nonprofit organizations in New Jersey will be able to better achieve international mediation, arbitration, and conciliation, and Karen DeSoto said “it feels great that the Institute for Dispute Resolution helped” in doing so.

The IDR, which is focused on negotiation and mediation, both domestically and internationally, has been encouraging the practice to businesses through collaborative actions and events, and educating students -- through study as well as practical experience by participating in international mediation competitions and events.

IDR has played a great role in this legislation, and expects to contribute to the shaping of education policy in the future.