California Employment Lawyers Association
Application for NEW Membership or RENEWAL Membership
January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008
The undersigned hereby makes application for membership in the
California Employment Lawyers Association
.
Name
(First/Last):
Phone:
[Ex: (000) 000-0000]
Firm/Organization:
Fax:
[Ex: (000) 000-0000]
Address:
E-Mail:
City:
State:
Web Site:
Zip:
County:
Bar No:
Home Zip Code:
(not for publication)
I give permission to list the above information on the CELA website, a public site:
Yes
No
Please HYPERLINK my website to the CELA website for an additional $25.00
Yes
No
Please send me the CELA 2008 Directory in:
Hardcopy
Electronic
Please send me the CELA Monthly Bulletin in:
Hardcopy
Electronic
MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES (practice percentages must be certified below)
Regular Membership
I certify that I meet all of the following requirements of membership: (1) I certify that I am in good standing with the State Bar of California; (2) At least 51% of my professional time is devoted to representing or advancing the rights of employees and/or union members; (3) I do not have more than one (1) case on file in any judicial or administrative forum on behalf of an employer; (4) No more than 25% of my professional time is devoted to civil defense work (non-employment); (5) I am not employed or about to become employed by any law firm that primarily does defense work; and, (6) I do not belong to any panel whose members defend employers against claims of employees. I understand that if I represent an employer in a case in opposition to a CELA member who is representing an employee and who is on the listserv, I will be temporarily removed from the CELA listserv for the duration of the case.
To cover my 2008 membership fee, including use of the CELA List, password-protected web site access, the CELA Directory, the CELA Bulletin, and other CELA activities, enclosed is my payment in the amount of:
Option A
Option B
Option C
a. Attorneys in practice five years or more
$250.00
b. Attorneys in practice less than five years
$200.00
c. Attorneys who wish to join as Sustaining Members*
$500.00
Associate Membership
I certify that (1) I am in good standing with the State Bar of California and that at least 51% of my professional time is devoted to representing plaintiffs OR (2) I am a full time mediator, arbitrator or law school professor. I understand I am not eligible to use the CELA List or the password-protected section of the CELA web site.
To cover my 2008 membership fee, including the CELA Directory, the CELA Bulletin, and other CELA activities, enclosed is my payment in the amount of:
Option A
Option B
Option C
Option D
a. Attorneys in practice five years or more
$250.00
b. Attorneys in practice less than five years
$200.00
c. Attorneys who wish to join as Sustaining Members*
$500.00
d. Law Students/Paralegals
[Name of Law School/Grad. Yr.:
]
$25.00
* Sustaining Membership includes acknowledgment in the 2008 Membership Directory and Annual Conference Journal; registration to the seminar preceding the Annual Conference in October; and a free website hyperlink. Your Sustaining Membership will be used to support CELA’s many activities, including the Online List, web site, education, amicus and legislative advocacy programs.
CERTIFICATION (required)
Approximate percentage of my professional time devoted to representing:
Employees and/or union members
Plaintiffs (non-employment)
Mediator & Arbitrator
Employers (non-litigation)
Defendants (non-employment)
Law School Professor
Number of cases representing employer in a judicial or administrative forum
AREAS OF PRACTICE
My primary areas of practice, to be included in the 2008 CELA Directory and web site are:
Appellate Law
Privacy Rights
Whistleblower
Class Actions
Public Employees
Workers' Compensation
Discrimination
Sexual Harassment
Wrongful Termination
Drug Testing
Qui Tam
Mediator
Employee Benefits/ERISA
Unemployment Benefits
Arbitrator
Federal Employees
Union/Labor Law
Law Schoool Professor
Wage & Hour
Law Student / Paralegal
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
(to be included in the 2008 CELA Directory and web site):
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
CELA often works in coalition with other organizations. Please let us know if you belong to these other lawyer organizations, or any other lawyer group we should be considering for coalition. This information will not be published or shared with others.
National Employment Lawyers Association
California Applicant Attorneys Association
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Consumer Attorneys of California
AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee
National Lawyers Guild
Other (please specify)
Are you admitted to practice law in any other states ?
Yes
No
If yes, which state(s):
How did you hear about CELA ?
MENTOR PROGRAM
Are you a new CELA member?
Yes
No
Would you like more information on finding a CELA Mentor?
Yes
No
Are you interested in being a CELA Mentor?
Yes
No
FOR REGULAR MEMBERS ONLY
Please read and check the spaces below. Both spaces must be checked in order to participate on the CELA List.
Revised: September 2007 CELA LIST PROTOCOL TO ALL CELA LIST MEMBERS: Please remember that CELA is an organization dedicated not only to ensure that the rights of the employees are not trampled, but CELA is also a collegial organization designed to assist one another in fighting the same fight against the employers and defense counsel with limitless resources. The CELA List was developed in order to help us be on a level playing field with defense counsel who have access to numerous attorneys within their firms and within their local employment defense organizations. In developing the CELA List, we wanted the participants to be able to have a candid dialogue with other CELA members about their cases, judges, opposing counsel and mediators. The List protocols were approved and adopted by the CELA Board. By continuing as a member of the CELA List, CELA will assume that you agree to abide by the following. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE FOLLOWING, PLEASE NOTIFY CELA'S LIST ADMINISTRATOR, CHRISTINA KRASOMIL, IMMEDIATELY AND YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST. 1. The CELA OnTopic List is for topics related to PLAINTIFF’S employment law. This means representation of employees in disputes with employers. We also recognize that occasionally employees may be a defendants in a dispute with an employer. Please do not post messages to the List about anything else. This protocol is CRITICAL. The OnTopic list is for: # Questions about plaintiff's employment law # Questions about law practice management # Any other issues directly affecting plaintiff's employment law The OffTopic List is for: # Attorney referrals outside plaintiff employment law # Questions regarding a non-plaintiff employment law case (so long as it is not employment defense) # Employment law posts by individuals who have been 'conflicted' off the OnTopic list # A political issue or announcement you just have to talk about --so long as it is free of flaming or derogatory references All messages not related to plaintiff employment law MUST BE SENT TO CELA'S "OFF TOPIC" List. The CELA OnTopic List must be focused on our common interest of employment law. Further, postings about non-employment cases run a higher risk of conflict with another CELA member or a lawyer in a CELA member's firm. 2. The CELA OnTopic List is for employment law topics of interest to the entire List. Please do not use the List for messages that contain ONLY expressions of gratitude to an individual or other personal messages. For example, messages that state only "thank you", "go get em", "fax it to me", "I want it too" etc. MUST be sent to the individual rather than to the entire List. An expression of gratitude or other personalized comment can be appended to a larger substantive message of interest to the entire List. EVERY MESSAGE THAT YOU POST ON THE LIST MUST CONTAIN YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, FAX NUMBER AND EMAIL SO THAT REPLIES CAN BE MADE ONLY TO YOU. 3. The CELA OnTopic List is a shared responsibility. CELA cannot guarantee the confidentiality of the communications on the List and believes it is the obligation of every List participant to observe the confidentiality of the List. Every List participant must omit information which would identify a client from all messages posted to the List. Information gained from the List can ONLY be shared with persons who are regular CELA members and qualify for List access, persons who function as staff for regular CELA members and who are cautioned to maintain the confidentiality of the information, or persons whose practice of law could not place them in an adversarial position to the practice of a regular CELA member and who are cautioned to maintain the confidentiality of the information. Information gained from the List must NOT be shared with lawyers who would not qualify as regular CELA members because their representation of employers is greater than allowed for regular CELA members and their practice of law could place them in an adversarial position to a regular CELA member. This would include other lawyers in a regular CELA member's firm. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY LIST PARTICIPANT IN EVERY CASE TO DETERMINE WHETHER ANOTHER LIST PARTICIPANT OR ANOTHER LIST PARTICIPANT'S FIRM IS AN OPPOSING COUNSEL. EVERY LIST PARTICIPANT MUST OBSERVE THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE LIST AND NOT POST A LIST MESSAGE CONCERNING A MATTER WHICH INVOLVES ANOTHER LIST PARTICIPANT OR PARTICIPANT'S FIRM AS AN OPPOSING COUNSEL. Any comment posted is the writer's opinion. CELA encourages the exchange of honest, candid opinions on the List. As a List user, you understand and agree that all comments that you or others place on this List regarding any judge, mediator, counsel or other individuals are merely expressions of non-actionable opinion protected by the First Amendment. If you express anything other than positive opinions about an individual in a List message, you MUST make clear in the message that it is your honest opinion and is not a statement of fact or the opinion of CELA. DO NOT COMMUNICATE TO NON-LIST PARTICIPANTS THAT A SPECIFIC LIST PARTICIPANT HAS MADE CRITICAL COMMENTS ABOUT A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL. 4. All exchanges on the CELA OnTopic List are responses to requests to exchange opinions. As a CELA List user, you understand and agree that all exchanges and statements on the List regarding judges, mediators, counsel and others are reasonable responses to reasonable requests to exchange opinions for the purposes of improving our ability to effectively represent our clients. 5. Do not flame or personally attack any other user on the List. Using derogatory language towards any other user on the List is forbidden. Do not engage in a flame war with other users on the List. Do not personally attack other users on the List. Insults or personal criticisms directed at other users are forbidden. Please keep our common focus - fairness and justice in the workplace. 6. The content of messages posted on the CELA OnTopic List may be used on the CELA web site. Any message posted to the CELA OnTopic List which contains legal citations, briefs, motions, or portions of these or similar documents may be posted on the CELA Web site, Members Only section at the discretion of the CELA Board or its designated committee. When a message is posted on the CELA OnTopic List containing such a document, the CELA OnTopic List participant who posted the List message has given consent that the document may be posted on the CELA Web site, Members Only section. YOU ARE REQUESTED TO COPY ALL MESSAGES CONTAINING ATTACHED DOCUMENTS TO THE CELA ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR, CHRISTINA KRASOMIL, AT (818) 907-7895 OR CHRISTINA@CELA.ORG. CONFLICT PROTOCOLS: IT IS INCUMBENT UPON ALL LIST PARTICIPANTS TO IDENTIFY WHETHER THEIR OPPONENT, OR A MEMBER OF THEIR OPPONENT'S FIRM, IS A CELA MEMBER, AND TO DETERMINE THE APPLICATION OF THESE PROTOCOLS. 7. INDIVIDUAL CONFLICT A CELA member on the list who represents or is aligned with the interests of an employer, and who is adverse to the interests of an employee represented by a CELA member on the list, will be removed from the OnTopic list for the duration of the matter, unless there is a Side Agreement (see ‘Side Agreements’ section). This conflict protocol potentially applies to the representation of an employer or interests aligned with an employer before any litigation or administrative process is initiated, to the representation of individuals adverse to the interests of an employee in an employment matter, and to the representation of an employer in an employment-related matter even when the employer is identified as the ostensible plaintiff in a matter. If you are a CELA member on the list who represents or is aligned with the interests of an employer, and are adverse to the interests of a CELA represented employee on the list, it is your responsibility to immediately contact Christina Krasomil and inform her of the conflict. You will be removed from the list for the duration of the matter. During the appeal stage of a case, a CELA member who represents or is aligned with the interests of an employer, and is adverse to the interests of an employee represented by a CELA member on the list, will not have access to the list during certain stages of the appeal. Recognizing that the appeal process may be very lengthy, removal from the list during the appeal process will begin only after the clerk's transcript on appeal is prepared. CELA members who are adversaries during the appeal process must notify Christina Krasomil immediately upon notification that the clerk's transcript has been prepared. 8. SIDE AGREEMENTS If a CELA attorney on the plaintiff-employee side in a litigation is facing an employer-defendant represented by a CELA member, both CELA members can enter into a Side Agreement. If both CELA members are amenable to continued participation on the list, and agree not to discuss their specific case on the CELA List, the CELA member representing the employer-defendant may remain on the list. 9. UNION REPRESENTATION ISSUES If you are a CELA member participating on the list and are representing a Union-employer facing a plaintiff-employee represented by a CELA member, it is your responsibility to immediately contact Christina Krasomil and inform her of the conflict. The provisions of Paragraphs 7 and 8 above governing conflicts and side agreements, respectively, will then apply. Union representation issues will be addressed on a "case by case" basis by the CELA List Monitoring Committee which will make recommendations to the Board, in order to determine whether a conflict truly exists, and how the conflict should be addressed. Every effort will be made to allow both attorneys (and their firms) on the listserv. 10. POTENTIAL CONFLICT Before gaining access to the list, each new list applicant must first answer a series of questions in order to confirm that the applicant does not represent and is not aligned with the interests of an employer adverse to the interests of an employee represented by a CELA member on the list. Before applying for admission to the list, it is the responsibility of every list applicant to determine whether they are representing or aligned with the interests of an employer adverse to a CELA member on the list who is representing an employee. If your opponent is a CELA member, you will not be given list access until the conclusion of that matter, unless there is a Side Agreement (see ‘Side Agreements’ section). 11. FIRM CONFLICT A "conflict wall" protocol will be developed to isolate the individual attorney(s) acting in a defense capacity, as opposed to suspending the entire firm. Pending the creation of a workable "conflict wall" resolution, the individual and firm suspensions will continue. This protocol addresses circumstances where the firm of a CELA member on the list represents an employer, or interests aligned with the employer, adverse to the interests of an employee represented by a CELA member on the list. This may occur, even though the firm CELA member on the list is not directly responsible for representing the employer or interests aligned with the employer. Under those circumstances, the firm associated with the CELA list user will be removed from the list during the duration of the matter. (The Board is aware that this protocol may cause concern among CELA members on the list and is sensitive to those concerns. The Board believes that the firm conflict protocol may evolve in response to those concerns as potential application of this protocol occurs.) 12. TEMPORARY SUSPENSION ALTERNATIVES Temporarily suspended list participants and firms have alternatives available, including posting to OffTopic about their plaintiff’s employment cases, or creating their own contact list of CELA members, in order to exchange information. As a means of allowing limited access to suspended participants to discuss matters unrelated to the conflict, posts can be made to OnTopic on behalf of the suspended participant through Christina Krasomil, CELA’s Administrative Director. 13. LIST MONITORING COMMITTEE CELA’s List issues are addressed by a List Monitoring Committee. The List Monitoring Committee is made up of CELA volunteer members who do not serve on the Executive Board, and work on a rotating basis. The Committee monitors list violations, and will communicate directly with members about the 'day to day' violations ("me too," "thanks"). More serious violations will be brought to the attention of the CELA Executive Committee. ANYONE WISHING TO MAKE A COMPLAINT OR INQUIRY ABOUT ANY LISTSERV POSTING MAY CONTACT MICHAEL BALTAXE, THE CHAIR OF THE LISTSERV MONITORING COMMITTEE, OR SUCH OTHER PERSON WHO IS CHAIR OF THAT OF THE LISTSERV MONITORING COMMITTEE. HE CAN BE REACHED AT mfbaltaxe@aol.com. MORE SERIOUS VIOLATIONS, SUCH AS THOSE WHICH WOULD INVOLVE A POTENTIAL SUSPENSION, SHALL BE BROUGHT TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTS OF MICHELLE REINGLASS (MICHELLE@REINGLASSLAW.COM), DAVID DUCHROW (DDUCHROW@DJDUCHROWLAW.COM), KATHY DICKSON (KATHY@DICKSONROSS.COM), PHIL HOROWITZ (PHIL@CREATIVE.NET), DOLORES LEAL (DLEAL@AMGLAW.COM), AND JIM STONEMAN (JIM@STONEMANLAW.COM). YOU MAY ALSO BRING ANY COMPLAINT OR INQUIRY RELATING TO THE LISTSERV OF ANY NATURE, TO CHRISTINA KRASOMIL AT WHO WILL PASS IT ALONG TO THE CORRECT PERSON(S). I have read the foregoing CELA List Protocol and agree to abide by its terms and conditions. Date: Signature: Print Name:
I wish to continue participating on the CELA List or sign up for a List subscription.
I have read and agree to the terms of the attached CELA List Protocol, which I agree to sign and send in with my Membership Renewal Application.
Suggestions for CELA:
Payment Information:
Billing Name (First/Last):
Billing Street Address:
Billing Zipcode:
Credit Card #:
Credit Card CVV2:
Expiration (month / year):
/
Payment/Questions:
Christina Krasomil, Administrative Director
California Employment Lawyers Association
16133 Ventura Blvd., Suite 625
Encino, CA 91436
Telephone:(818) 907-7895
Facsimile:(818) 907-7474
E-mail:
christina@cela.org