Why should police officers be allowed to lie to citizens? They should not— but it is a standard practice and, amazingly, legal. Routinely, interrogators obtain confessions by lying to defendants. “We already have your fingerprints—just tell us what happened” when...
It is fitting to end a rough year with a sad story from the past
It is one thing to know about slavery and about racial segregation. But whites, including me until well into adulthood, tend to be unaware of the scale of violence visited by whites on blacks in the 20th century. One good place to begin is Isabel Wilkerson’s The...
Have a Professional Review Your Employment Agreement
On November 24, 2020, the Michigan Court of Appeals issued an opinion in Sikkema v. Professional Benefits Service, Inc., which highlights why it is so critical to (a) have an employment law attorney review any offer letter, employment agreement, or compensation plan...
Supreme Court allows Religious Victims of US Government Bureaucrats to Sue
Shortly after the terrible attacks of 911, on Sept. 11, 2001, the Federal Government created a database of people that it held could not board an airplane. Many of these people were US citizens and had never been convicted of a crime. But when they tried to buy an...
The Department of Labor Clarifies when Training Time is Compensable
On November 3, 2020, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published an opinion letter regarding when the FLSA requires employers to pay non-exempt employees (i.e., overtime eligible employees) for time spent in voluntary training programs. The general rule...
University of Michigan fraternity sued for admitting women, non-binary members
David Nacht defends University of Michigan fraternity sued for admitting women, non-binary members. While the lawsuit is steeped in arguments around issues of trademark, it raises a host of questions, including whether women should be allowed to join a fraternity on a...
Judge strikes down Benson order banning guns at polls
Every once in a while a decision comes down from a court that shows incredibly poor judgment. Judge Murray has decided that the Michigan Secretary of State cannot ban guns at polling places. Our firm has brought a case defending gun owners from facing discrimination...
New COVID-19 Protections in Place for Michigan Employees
On October 22, 2020, the Michigan legislature passed Public Act 238 of 2020, which creates several new protections for employees and is designed to “prohibit an employer from taking certain actions against an employee who does not report to work under certain...
What I look for in a judge
We are about to get another supreme court justice. Non-lawyers sometimes think that the personal political preferences of judges is what is most important in selecting them. I say it is a useful way of understanding how a judge views society, but it does not...
Michigan House passes a package of bills that aim to shield the state’s employers and manufacturers from lawsuits relating to coronavirus
As the question of employee rights comes into play surrounding COVID-19, a few lawsuits have sprouted regarding wrongful termination. Nicolas Prada was fired from his job on July 11 after contracting COVID-19. Prada was a waiter at Tomokun Noodle Bar in Ann Arbor and...
