NELA/NY Spring 2026 Conference @ Fordham Law
5/8/2026 - 5/8/2026

Spring 2026 Full Day Conference
May 8, 2026 (8:30 AM - 5:45 pm Eastern)
@ Fordham Law School - and online, via Zoom Webinar

Rates: Member $350; Non-member $425; Non-profit Attorney $175 ; Student/Para $150 - includes 2 meals, all day snacks, and cocktails
Virtual (Zoom Webinar) Rates: Member $200; Non-Member $250; Non-Profit Attorney $100; Student/Para FREE

If you would like to apply for financial aid, please email nelany@nelany.com for the application.
Breakfast, snacks, lunch and happy hour are all included in your in-person registration fee!

The day will include the following panels, plus more - some details are still being finalized; a complete agenda will be distributed ASAP!

1) Mass Layoffs and Small Business Closings: Bankrupts, Deadbeats, and the WARN Acts (1.5 CLE)
 
In 2025, mass layoffs reached their highest level since the COVID-19 shutdown. State and federal WARN Act laws protect some workers laid off without notice, but those laws can be tricky to navigate and offer no protection to employees of most small businesses. The panel will discuss issues relating to small and large business mass layoffs and closings, including the federal and NYS WARN Acts, shareholder and LLC member liability, fraudulent conveyances, and attachment.
 
Panelists:

• Jack Raisner, Raisner & Roupinian
• Orin Kurtz, Orin Kurtz Employment Counsel
• David Colodny, Urban Justice Center – Creditor Justice Project

2) Reasonable Accommodations: An Evolving Source of Rights in the Workplace (1.0 CLE)
 
From its inception, the concept of reasonable accommodations had within it a radical germ: that even in our modern economy, employees retain certain rights to transform their workplaces to meet their unique needs. Reasonable accommodations received its most robust early articulation in the disability discrimination context. But in recent years, reasonable accommodations protections have expanded, with still more expansion potentially on the horizon. Recent developments such as the Trump administration’s employer-friendly policies, employers’ return-to-work mandates, and employers’ reliance on AI are testing the reach and limits of reasonable accommodations protections.
 
This panel will discuss the recent changes in the law of reasonable accommodations (focusing on New York, but highlighting favorable developments in other states), the legislative changes currently being considered, and discuss practicable steps NELA / NY practitioners can take in their litigations and pre-litigation cases to protect the rights of their clients who have experienced discrimination because of or related to their need for a reasonable accommodation.
 
Panelists:

• Carolin Guentert, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight
• David Tracey, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight

3) ESI Protocol Training (1.0 CLE) 

This CLE will share best practices for ESI (Electronically Stored Information) protocols in legal discovery.  Panelists will discuss their experience utilizing ESI protocols in discovery, including the practical integration of generative AI tools to enhance search strategies, document review, and issue identification. They will highlight real-world approaches to identifying key evidence, analyzing metadata, and detecting potential authenticity concerns in electronic records. In light of the recent Rakoff decision (Feb. 2026) in United States v. Heppner, presenters will also address emerging considerations in the discovery of AI-generated communications; recommended approaches for safeguarding attorney-client privilege;  and ways to streamline these considerations without overburdening attorneys.

Panelists:

• Hilary Orzick, Keenan & Bhatia
• Kelly L. O'Connell, O'Connell Law

4) Time’s Up for Sexual Abusers in NYC: Navigating the Gender-Motivated Violence Act to Give Survivors a Second Chance at Justice (1.0 CLE) 
 
Join us for an in-depth analysis of the New York City Gender-Motivated Violence Act (GMVA), including recent developments in the law; the revival window closing on July 29, 2027; and how survivors can use the statute to pursue claims against their abusers and those who enabled, perpetuated, or facilitated the abuse, including employers.
 
Panelists:
 

• Lindsay Goldbrum, Goddard Law 
• Hailey Miller, Goddard Law

Location: Fordham Law School
150 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Registration ends on 5/8/2026

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NELA Nite @ Noon: "Strategic Representation of Creative Talent” (5/14/26)
5/14/2026

NELA Nite at Noon: "Strategic Representation of Creative Talent” (5/14/26)
 
May 14, 2026 from 12-1:30 PM EST via Zoom Webinar
1.5 CLE Credit (Professional Practice)
$25 NELA and affiliate Members / $50 Non-Members


Join Hanan Kolko, Partner at Cohen, Weiss, Simon; Tanvir Rahman, Managing Partner at Filippatos LLC; and Jason Rozger, Partner at Menken, Simpson & Rozger LLP for guidance in how to maneuver the challenging terrain of representing creatives in employment and labor law claims. Explore: (1) who to name as a defendant, including considerations related to individual liability and collectability; (2) how to manage the classification of creative talent as independent contractors or LLCs; (3) the interplay with unions, including in the use of standardized project contracts, LMRA preemption and parallel proceedings; (4) idiosyncratic issues related to jurisdiction and damages; and (5) Constitutional and statutory defenses you rarely encounter. 

Register today!
Location: via Zoom Webinar

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