Articles and Blogs

On August 7, 2025, the Wisconsin State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 257, known as the “APRN Modernization Act.” This legislation, approved by Governor Evers, creates a new advanced nursing licensure category for “advanced practice registered nurses” (“APRNs”) and, for the first time, allows qualifying APRNs to practice independently without the need for a collaborative... READ MORE

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (also referred to as the “Court” or the “Seventh Circuit”) recently ruled that a plaintiff’s religious accommodation claim should proceed to trial, applying the heightened “undue hardship” standard established in 2023 by the U.S. Supreme Court in Groff v. DeJoy (“Groff“). In Kluge v. Brownsburg Community School Corp.... READ MORE

Health care and other federal funding recipients now face escalating legal risk in their implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”) programs. The Executive Branch continues to reshape the enforcement of civil rights laws in this space, beginning with Executive Orders as discussed here, followed by directives to the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and... READ MORE

In U.S. ex rel. Cooley v. ERMI, LLC, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (the “Court”) denied the employer’s motion for summary judgment after the employer provided unclear and inconsistent explanations for the employee’s termination. The Court explained that the reasons provided by the employer may serve as pretext rather... READ MORE

With the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 409 (“SEA 409”), as of July 1, 2025, employers in Indiana must grant employees leave to attend certain school meetings related to their children, such as conferences to discuss the child’s Individualized Education Program (“IEP”). Prior to this, no requirement existed for Indiana employers; however, certain federal... READ MORE

On July 21, 2025, the Tenth Circuit issued an important decision, confirming that employees asserting discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) need not demonstrate a “significant change” in employment status. Instead, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis (“Muldrow“), the Tenth Circuit held that... READ MORE

Not unlike the laws in just about every other U.S. state, Chapter 15 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code has required that non-solicitation and non-compete agreements for all employees be limited to reasonable time, geographic and scope of activity parameters. However, on June 20, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law Senate... READ MORE

Health care and other federal funding recipients face new risks on multiple fronts in their use of diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”) programs. The Executive Branch has undertaken a concerted effort to reshape the interpretation and enforcement of federal civil rights laws impacting DEI practices through the issuance of Executive Orders, as discussed here, and... READ MORE

In its recent decision in Texas v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (the “Court”) held that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) cannot require employers to provide accommodations for transgender employees when it comes to bathroom access, dress codes and the use of pronouns, and... READ MORE

On January 14, 2025, the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued two opinion letters. One of the letters, FMLA 2025-1-A (“Opinion Letter”), provided guidance on the application of federal Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) regulations to paid leave employees take under state and local government family and medical... READ MORE