The Americans with Disabilities Act and New York anti-discrimination laws afford mental and physical disabilities equal protection in the workplace. While physical impairments previously have received the lion's share of attention, employees are more frequently disclosing mental impairments and requesting accommodations. They also are submitting a growing number of mental disability discrimination charges to government agencies such as the EEOC. Join representatives of the plaintiffs' bar, defense bar, and an accommodations expert in discussing the common issues and delicate problems that confront employees and employers contending with mental disabilities in the workplace. Topics will include: protected vs. unprotected mental disabilities, reasonable and unreasonable accommodations, misconduct issues and direct threat, strategies for pursuing and defending against mental disability discrimination claims, and how to deal with the psychiatrist (including the use and misuse of mental health professionals) before and after litigation commences.
This program was recorded on October 27th, 2008.
Kendra Duckworth
Lead Consultant Cognitive/Neurological Team
Job Accommodation Network
JohnHerrion
Director of Disability Rights
NYS Division of Human Rights
Valdi Licul
Vladeck Waldman Elias & Englehard, PC
Stephen P. Sonnenberg
Partner
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP
Stephen P. Sonnenberg
Partner
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP
Stephen Sonnenberg works exclusively in the representation of private
employers in all aspects of employment law, including wrongful
discharge, discrimination, sexual harassment, and wage/hour matters; and
in proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,
California Fair Employment and Housing Commission, and the California
Department of Labor Standards Enforcement.
Prior to studying law, Mr. Sonnenberg practiced psychotherapy as a
licensed clinical social worker in a variety of private and public
settings, ranging from private practice to a psychiatric hospital.
Because of his background as a psychotherapist, Mr. Sonnenberg has
particular experience in the areas of mental disabilities under the
Americans with Disabilities Act, emotional distress damages, and the use
and misuse of psychiatric and psychological experts.
Mr. Sonnenberg has
frequently lectured on these topics for organizations such as the
National Employment Law Institute, the American Bar Association, the
Institute for Applied Management and Law, and the Los Angeles Employers
Group. He also has provided training on these topics to corporate
counsel and human resource personnel of clients of the Firm. Mr.
Sonnenberg has authored a number of articles regarding employment law;
his most recent article, Coping with Mental Disabilities in the
Workplace: Tips for Employers, was published in Workforce and Employee
Benefit News.
Mr. Sonnenberg received his B.A. degree, with honors, from the State
University of New York at Binghamton in 1974. He received his M.S.W.
degree from the University of Michigan in 1977. He received his J.D.
degree from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1992.
While there, he was a senior editor of the Southern California
Interdisciplinary Law Journal.