New York Paralegal Blog

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to uphold a block on the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military. In an  amicus brief filed in  Shilling v. Trump , Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the president’s February 10 executive order, which purported to prohibit transgender individuals from military service, is unconstitutional, jeopardizes national security, and threatens the strength of the nation’s military. The attorneys general emphasize that the ban would reverse nearly a decade of progress and urge the court to uphold a preliminary injunction issued by a lower court. “Transgender service members proudly uphold the values of our nation with honor, courage, and sacrifice,” said  Attorney General James . “In New York and nationwide, the National Guard depends on every qualified individual willing to s...

BOSTON — Following an investigation and audit of Form I-9 documents by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), 14 New England employers have been fined this fiscal year for various violations that enabled companies to hire illegal aliens. The inspection of the employers' documents are part of ICE's worksite enforcement strategy, launched in 2009 to reduce the demand for illegal employment and protect employment opportunities for the nation's lawful workforce, by focusing its resources on the auditing and investigation of employers suspected of cultivating illegal workplaces by hiring workers who are later determined to be employed illegally.

NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a multimillion dollar settlement with two energy companies that used deceptive marketing tactics to mislead thousands of New Yorkers. Under the agreement, Columbia Utilities LLC and Columbia Utilities Power LLC (Columbia) will pay $2 million to refund New York consumers, $200,000 in state penalties, and an additional $750,000 suspended penalty if it fails to comply with the terms. In addition, Columbia will observe new restrictions on its marketing practices to prevent future fraudulent sales conduct. “Consumers were lured by Columbia’s false promises for huge savings and other deceptive practices, only to become burdened by more costly energy bills,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “These are difficult economic times, and predatory companies that exploit New Yorkers looking to save their hard-earned money will be held accountable. This settlement puts energy providers on notice that such consumer abu...

DALLAS - Hill County Farms, doing business as Henry’s Turkey Service (“Henry’s Turkey”) subjected a group of 31 men with intellectual disabilities to severe abuse and discrimination for more than 20 years, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged in a lawsuit filed today in Davenport, Iowa. The company is based in Goldthwaite, Texas, but the work and abuse occurred in West Liberty and Atalissa, Iowa. According to the lawsuit, No. 3:11-cv-0004 CRW-TJS , filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Henry’s Turkey exploited these workers, whose jobs involved eviscerating turkeys, because their intellectual disabilities made them particularly vulnerable and unaware of the extent to which their legal rights were being denied. The affected men lived in Muscatine County, Iowa, where they worked for 20 years as part of a contract between Henry’s Turkey and West Liberty Foods, an Iowa turkey processing plant.