Advance Law Office, PLLC

The WSBA Civil Rights Law Section is hosting a mini-CLE on 10/17/18 from 1:30 to 4:00 PM on the Battle between Free Speech and Hate Speech. The three parts will cover (1) employment, (2) public spaces and (3) a panel with representatives from the ADL, CAIR-WA, and the King Co Prosecutors Office moderated by Michele Storms of the ACLU-WA. To register online, please visit the WSBA CLE Store: https://www.wsbacle.org

www.wsbacle.org

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) - a good time for schools, workplaces, and communities to consider how they can further career development opportunities for people with disabilities.
https://www.rootedinrights.org/videos/storytellers-series/willing-to-work/?mc_cid=fbac601982&mc_eid=6ae1e254a5

Willing to Work

Interested in Special Education Law? Come to a comprehensive training on 9/25/18. I"ll be talking about a variety of disability discrimination issues. https://www.nbi-sems.com/ProductDetails/79766ER?ctname=SPKEM

79766ER | Live Seminar | Special Education Law: The Ultimate Guide Special education legal issues can be confusing for school personnel and attorneys alike. This hands-on legal guide will walk you through legal best practices concerning IEPs, 504 plans, manifest determination reviews and more. Our experienced attorney faculty will give you the information you need....

NWATIXA Spring Training early-bird registration closes on March 1, 2018! The training is March 19-22, there are 2 day and 4 day options, and there are higher ed investigator and administrator tracks, and a K12 track. More info can be found here: http://www.nwatixa.org/spring-2018-conference

2018 Spring Training As an independent, non-profit association, NWATIXA is committed to providing high quality, affordable education and training for both K-12 and higher education professionals who are tasked with Title IX responsibilities and who work in the northwest region (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Or...

http://hrcsuite.com/s*xual-harassment-investigation/

5 Tips for Conducting an Effective Sexual Harassment Investigation | HR C-Suite Posted by Tresha Moreland on Jun 18, 2017 in Featured, Productivity | Comments Off on 5 Tips for Conducting an Effective Sexual Harassment Investigation

May your 2018 be full of peace and joy.

Advance Law Office, PLLC updated their phone number.

​Nearly one-third of Americans practice a faith other than Christianity or have no religious affiliation, according to the Pew Research Center. This article gives suggestions for fostering inclusivity in the workplace. https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/1217/pages/how-can-we-foster-inclusivity-among-our-multifaith-workforce.aspx?_ga=2.84164505.1851756494.1513004845-33048594.1513004845

Ask an HR Expert: How Can We Foster Inclusivity Among Our Multifaith Workforce This Holiday Season? HR can help create a festive holiday environment for everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs, says a SHRM HR Knowledge Center advisor.

Washington parent friends, do you have your family safety plan ready? Contact me if you need permanent and temporary guardianship and medical power of attorneys documents for your child(ren). I think these legal docs are so important that my firm provides them for free. www.advancelawoffice.com

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/science/are-you-ready-for-the-big-one-look-at-what-these-folks-have-done-on-their-own-to-prepare/?utm_source=The+Seattle+Times&utm_campaign=162c330c69-Morning_Brief_10_17_2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5beb38b61e-162c330c69-121732701

Are you ready for the Big One? Look at what these folks have done — on their own — to prepare From a shipping container stocked with supplies to duck-and-cover training for preschools, private citizens are pushing to prepare for an inevitable earthquake in our region. Thursday’s Great ShakeOut drill emphasizes the need to be ready.

In a memo to all federal prosecutors, Attorney General Jeff Sessions Sessions stated today that Title VII's s*x discrimination prohibition does not encompass discrimination based on gender identity per se, including transgender status. "This is a conclusion of law, not policy. As a law enforcement agency, the Department of Justice must interpret Title VII as written by Congress." Sessions said, adding that the department will take this new position in all "pending and future matters." The Sessions memo can be found in this CNN news article:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/05/politics/jeff-sessions-transgender-title-vii/

This position upends previous guidance issued under the Obama administration. Federal courts have previously weighed in on this issue and several have found that Title VII covers transgender individuals. See, https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/wysk/lgbt_examples_decisions.cfm

Sessions: Civil rights law doesn't protect transgender workers Attorney General Jeff Sessions has formally determined that a 1964 federal civil rights law does not protect transgender workers from employment discrimination, upending previous guidance issued under the Obama administration.

Kudos to the WSBA Board of Governors who, at their September 29, 2017, meeting, unanimously passed a statement denouncing recent acts of violence and a reaffirmation of equity and inclusion principles.

The statement can be found here:
http://www.wsba.org/~/media/Files/About%20WSBA/Governance/BOG%20Resolutions/2016-2017/WSBA%20Statement%20Denouncing%20Recent%20Acts%20of%20Violence.ashx

www.wsba.org

The US Department of Education has issued interim guidance on Title IX.
https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-issues-new-interim-guidance-campus-s*xual-misconduct

www.ed.gov

Proud to sponsor today's reception after the CLE on Pressing Issues in Civil Rights.

Education rights of children displaced by Hurricane Harvey. This is specific to Texas, but is useful for other states too.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/homeless.educate.htm

Education Rights of Children Displaced by Hurricane Harvey by Mike O'Connor, Esq.- Wrightslaw Fact sheet on education rights of children displaced by Hurricane Harvey by Michael A. O'Connor, Esq.

Based on prepared remarks, Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education will not announce changes to current federal guidelines dealing with campus s*xual assault.. And she will not announce a change in the burden of proof required of colleges considering allegations of s*xual assault. She will, however, be looking at a new rule-making process would address that problem and due process concerns with current guidelines. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/09/07/devos-says-federal-title-ix-guidelines-have-%E2%80%98failed%E2%80%99-will-seek-public-input-new?utm_source=Inside%20Higher%20Ed&utm_medium=email&utm_content=breakingnews&utm_campaign=0143460511-Breaking%20News%20Update%2020170907&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-0143460511-226464469&mc_cid=0143460511&mc_eid=e88d690a94

www.nwirp.org

My heart goes out to those experiencing tragedy in Houston. It is also a sobering reminder of the need to have a solid safety plan and legal documents in place to take care of your children in the event something ever happens to you. If you do not have guardians in place, health care directives, and other critical legal and practical documents in place, please contact me. I'd be happy to assist you to put your mind at ease. Schedule a free consultation via my website.

Transition to college can be difficult and students with a history of trauma or who experience new trauma, such as s*xual assault, are at a higher risk of depression and substance abuse. I'm available for training and consulting services, but here is a free post-secondary resource guide to get colleges started.
http://educationnorthwest.org/resources/trauma-informed-practices-postsecondary-education-guide

educationnorthwest.org

See how this service dog helps its owner with a seizure. https://www.facebook.com/mashable/posts/10155523857989705

Watch how this service dog helps its owner during a seizure Good boy.

Advance Law Office, PLLC updated their website address.

My website is now live! Check out my range of services and let me know if there is anything I can help you with and, of course, referrals are always welcome!

www.advancelawoffice.com

Advance Law Office, PLLC updated their info in the about section.

Candice Jackson, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, announced changes to the scope of investigations in a memo sent to her staff on June 8, 2017.
https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/3863019-doc00742420170609111824.html

doc00742420170609111824 - ProPublica

New direction for the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights? In a June 6 letter to regional civil rights officials, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Candice Jackson said "OCR should rely on Title IX and its implementing regulations, as interpreted in decisions of federal courts and OCR guidance documents that remain in effect, in evaluating complaints of s*x discrimination against individuals, whether or not the individual is transgender." The document does not mention access to bathrooms matching a student's gender identity as among the types of complaints officials should investigate. That issue has been a key one at some colleges and in state legislation, as well as Circuit Court decisions. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3866816-OCR-Instructions-to-the-Field-Re-Transgender.html

DeVos' new transgender student guidance changes course on bathroom access cases Shortly after President Donald Trump's inauguration, the administration made waves by revoking President Barack Obama's guidance for tr...

If you missed Decoding the Law: A legal primer on Transgender Rights and Legislation offered by WSBA on June 7th, you can catch the recorded webcast here: http://www.wsba.org/News-and-Events/Decoding-the-Law

The moderator, Sal Mungia, past president of WSBA and a partner, Gordon Thomas Honeywell, did a great job, as did my co-panelists Colleen Melody, chief of the Civil Rights Unit, Washington State Attorney General’s Office, and Gunnar Scott, director of programs, Pride Foundation.

Decoding the Law , a conversation series for members and the community to discuss timely and relevant legal topics. The Decoding the Law series is intended to share information and facilitate dialogue in a nonpartisan fashion. The series is intended to share information and facilitate dialogue with the general publi...

Congratulations to the new Board of Directors for the Northwest Association of Title IX Administrators!
Board President - Joseph Bryant
VP of Higher Ed - Jill Powell
VP of K12 - Me/Kelli Schmidt
Treasurer - Melissa Mecham
Online Coordinator - Karen Langer
Training Coordinator - Stephanie Whaley
At Large Board Members - Matt Nelson & Valerie Robertson
State Representatives: ID - Stacey Gibson, NV - Lisa Scurry, and WA - Calandra Secrist

Advance Law Office, PLLC, is the solo law practice of Kelli Schmidt. I provide investigation, training, and consulting services to public schools and employers. I also provide representation to individuals on civil rights discrimination and family law matters, and provide consultation and legal coaching to parents of students with disabilities.

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