Its been a busy month at Rice Law Office with speaking engagements, a busy litigation calendar and radio spot with WEMJ.
Attorney Rice had the honor of being invited to speak at the State NEA teachers' fall convention earlier this month, followed by a presentation for the New Hampshire Bar Association the next Friday, where she spoke about employment litigation from the Plaintiff's point of view. She was joined by a panel of employment attorneys from both sides of the table, representing the issues most important to employers and employees alike. The month was capped off with a guest spot @WEMJ1490 radio for open mic with Pat Kelly, where Anne and Pat talked about the ins and outs of employment law basics, here in New Hampshire.
At the NH bar seminar Anne talked about the intake process and how critical it is to choose cases carefully and then to consider what is best for the client as the driving force for moving forward. Trial attorneys love to litigate, its what we do, but for most "normal" people the process can be stressful, expensive and time consuming. There are alternative routes to resolution and good counsel should talk to clients about different ways to get the best outcome, with the least time, stress and cost. We should talk to clients about all the remedies available, including disability insurance, retirement, social security, worker's compensation as well as options for litigation like, claims for wrongful termination, discrimination, or wage violations and the like.
Each type of claim has its pros and cons. Some take longer, some are harder to prove and some have greater or lesser remedies available. A claim for discrimination or wrongful termination can take years to bring for example, but disability insurance, unemployment or worker's compensation may provide a faster source of income to tide an employee over in the meantime. Employees need to know how they will pay their mortgage and keep help insurance pending litigation, but law suits take time! As employment attorneys we need to help sustain our clients as they await justice by providing information, resources and other options for help.
It starts with listening. It's important to listen to clients to help them determine which choice might be best. Employees who are hurt at work, treated poorly or fired, often feel like they have lost all control. Their world is turned upside down when their job is at risk. The truth is, our jobs define our schedule, our security and sometimes who we are. When a job is threatened or pulled out from underneath us, it is frightening and it affects every aspect of our lives and the lives of our family.
