The National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) was founded in 1985 by visionary employment attorney Paul Tobias. His goal was to provide assistance and support to lawyers engaged in the important work of protecting the rights of employees. These rights need to be defended against the greater resources of their employers and the defense bar. NELA is the country’s only professional organization that is exclusively comprised of lawyers who represent individual employees. Cases may involve employment discrimination, wrongful termination, employee benefits and other employment-related matters.
Today, NELA counts more than 4,000 lawyers as members in the United States and abroad. They have represented hundreds of thousands of individuals in disputes against their employers. NELA submits amicus curiae briefs in virtually all U.S. Supreme Court cases involving employment and civil rights-related legal issues. The organization has more than sixty-nine state and local affiliates around the country. The National Employment Lawyers Association – New Jersey is one of them. It was founded in 1987 by Peter Van Schaick.
2025 CALENDAR
January 2025 – Post Holiday Party
Location – Harvest Moon Brewery in Newark
March 12, 2025 – Dinner Meeting
March 27, 2025 – Employment Law Conference
Law Center in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 9am-4pm
Join us for the Annual Conference of the National Employment Lawyers Association – New Jersey on March 27, 2025, at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick, NJ. Hosted by NELA-NJ and the New Jersey State Bar Association, this full-day program will cover the most pressing issues in employment law, including significant case law developments, legislative updates, and strategic insights from top practitioners and policymakers.
We are especially excited to announce our Keynote Speaker: Huma Abedin, New York Times bestselling author and regular contributor for MSNBC.
Drawing from her distinguished career in public service, Ms. Abedin will share her insights on leadership, resilience, and the evolving landscape of workplace rights.
Agenda Highlights
- Courageous Plaintiffs: A moderated discussion with Christine Savage and Elena Gonzalez, plaintiffs in Savage v. Twp. of Neptune, 257 N.J. 204 (2024), which limited the use of non-disparagement settlements to silence victims of discrimination.
- Legislative Panel: A moderated panel of NJ legislators on emerging issues shaping NJ employment law, led by NELA-NJ Legislative Liaison Alan Schorr.
- DEI Post-Students for Fair Admissions: A deep analysis on the future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in light of a rapidly changing federal policy.
- Automated Employment Decisions: A discussion about regulation and litigation of algorithmic HR decisions, featuring insights from NJ Senator Andrew Zwicker and other thought leaders.
- Electronic Discovery (ESI): Develop technological competency to leverage electronic discovery in employment litigation.
- Trial Tactics & Evidence: Leading advocates from both the plaintiff and defense bars discuss key trial strategies and evidentiary issues.
This conference is valuable opportunity to gain practical knowledge and stay ahead of the latest trends in our field.
CLE Credits: 6.7 (including 1.0 Diversity Credit)
May 7, 2025 – Dinner Meeting