Law firm accused of firing legal secretary for serving on jury.
The California Labor Commissioner is suing a prominent workplace-discrimination law firm in Los Angeles, alleging that it fired an employee after she told the firm that she had been called to serve on a jury.
Filed on Tuesday, the lawsuit alleges that Martin & Martin fired receptionist Marla Osorio on the day that she told the firm that she had been impaneled to serve on a state court jury. The suit alleges that the law firm violated state labor laws prohibiting unlawful retaliation.
Martin & Martin managing partner Areva Martin is a labor and employment plaintiffs' attorney, who has made numerous televison appearances on such shows as Anderson Cooper 360 and The Dr. Phil Show to discuss employment and disability discrimination issues. According to its website, the firm has eight attorneys.
Reached by phone on Thursday, Ms. Martin said that she had not seen the lawsuit and was unable to comment.
According to the complaint, Osorio was summoned for jury duty in April 2006 but was directed by the law firm's human resources manager to try and postpone it. The court rescheduled her service for June, when Osorio was selected as part of a panel and told to return in July. When Osorio explained to the law firm manager that she had to go back in July, she was fired, the commissioner asserts.
Unfortunately, some attorneys - and plaintiffs employment attorneys - think they are exempt from the laws they enforce.
Unfortunately for them, their employees usually know the law from working for them.
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