Julie Badel, a Member of the Firm in the Labor and Employment practice in the Firm's Chicago office, was quoted in an October 16, 2007, article in Employment Discrimination Report on a new law that allows Illinois employees to have their job discrimination claims heard by a state court jury.
In the article, "State Grants Workers Access to Jury Trials When Suing for Employment Discrimination," civil rights attorneys and fair employment organizations praised the new law for making Illinois the thirty-ninth state to permit jury trials on job bias claims.
Badel pointed out, however, that the law would put stress a state court system that lacked familiarity with employment bias law.
"A huge number of these cases are somewhat between baseless and frivolous, and now they could potentially wind up in our state court system," said Badel.