Random blog posts on law-related topics that I think are interesting.
Opening a private practice: employment law points to remember
You’ve trained for years as a clinician, working hard to earn the credentials you need to succeed as a professional. You’re ready to open a private practice. What now? Those next steps can trip up many licensed professionals – speech pathologists, audiologists, social workers, physical therapists, psychologists, chiropractors, and more. Medical professionals such as doctors, […]
Understanding 504 Plans and IEPs: A Guide to Special Education Plans in South Carolina
Navigating the world of special education can be challenging for parents and teachers, especially when it comes to understanding the differences and similarities between 504 Plans and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Both provide support for students with disabilities, but the processes and requirements for each can vary significantly. Let’s look at the key distinctions and […]
Equal Pay Day 2023 and the Equal Pay Act
It took two and a half months, but women have finally caught up to last year. March 14, 2023 is this year’s Equal Pay Day. It symbolizes how far into the next year women must work to make as much as men made during the previous one. Although President John F. Kennedy signed The Equal […]
The legislative impacts of #MeToo five years later
Sex harassment has long impacted the workplace. Too often, though, these problems were ignored. However, in October 2017, following the New York Times release of the Harvey Weinstein story, these issues took the spotlight in a movement too widespread to ignore. The #MeToo movement resulted in victims coming forward about sexual harassment. It gave voices […]
New Year employment law checkup for businesses
By Jack E. Cohoon Attorney at Law Here’s a new year’s resolution for growing businesses: Review your employment practices and policies with an attorney. As businesses add workers, they also add legal obligations and potential employment law landmines. Here are some examples: Businesses with five or more South Carolina-based employees must comply with the Payment […]
Title IX: 50 years later
It was only 37 words, but when Title IX was passed 50 years ago, the anti-discrimination law empowered women to compete on every level in education. We mostly hear about Title IX in connection with college sports. Its impact there has been staggering, with female participation in intercollegiate sports increasing 450 percent in just the […]
Pardons and the power of forgiveness
By Maya Weeks and Jack E. Cohoon, Esq. Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote, “the simple truth is, we all make mistakes, and we all need forgiveness.” Forgiveness is a powerful idea that is built into South Carolina law in the form of the pardon process. A pardon forgives an individual for the legal consequences of a […]
Unemployment benefits and offers of work in the COVID-19 era
By Jack E. Cohoon, Esq. Attorney at Law With the loosening of COVID-19-related restrictions, some employers are reopening and recalling their employees back to work. Employees may wonder whether they will lose their unemployment insurance benefits if they refuse their employers’ offer of work. Under normal circumstances, a worker is ineligible for benefits for failure […]
Health care workers’ rights in the fight against COVID-19
By Grant Burnette LeFever, Esq. Attorney at Law Last updated April 9, 2020 As South Carolina hospitals brace for a surge of COVID-19 patients, workplace safety and health is a growing concern for health-care workers on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. A nationwide shortage of N95 […]
Leave Provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Jack E. Cohoon, Esq. Attorney at Law The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, was signed into law on March 18, 2020. This law includes a broad array of policy responses across federal agencies to the coronavirus pandemic. This is a general overview of two parts of the FFCRA—the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act […]