From the Chair

My goal as 2007-2008 Chair of the Labor and Employment Section is to continue and expand our specialty education and programs for our members, encourage involvement in labor and employment law by students and practitioners, and foster our pro bono projects.

Educational programs include our Annual Update, newsletters, and webcasts. The Annual update with an emphasis on electronic discovery is open for registration and will take place on October 12-13 in Galveston at the Moody Gardens Hotel. Please see this website for more information on the program and registration. Our Fall webcast on FLSA is scheduled for November 27, 2007.

The Labor and Employment Law Section funds two summer student internships for pro-bono providers and a law review award to the author and publishing law review for the outstanding article published by a Texas law school law review in labor and employment. The Section makes significant grants to pro-bono providers for employment programs and awards a limited number of tuition scholarships for our Annual Update program to pro-bono providers. The Section has a representative and participant in the Supreme Court Task Force for Legal Access.

The Section has several standing committees that seek the assistance of members. These include membership, law review award, pro-bono, history, web-site, jury charge data base, and CLE. We encourage all members to become involved. If you wish to volunteer or have suggestions, please raise your voice by contacting me or any other member of the Labor and Employment Law Section Council.

It has been an honor to serve on the Council. I have much enjoyed the hard work, service, and collegiality of the Council whose members include an equal number of representatives of employees and employers and two neutral law school professors. I also acknowledge the outstanding leadership and contributions of my predecessor Chairs, including most recently Linda Ottinger Headley and Malinda Gaul. I strive to carry forward their work and good spirit.

Genice Rabe