Paul, Weiss is committed to providing impactful pro bono legal assistance to individuals and organizations in need. Our program is all-encompassing, spanning the core issues facing our society.
Paul, Weiss Obtains Victory for Pro Bono Client in VOLS Unemployment Insurance Case
Paul, Weiss obtained a victory in an unemployment insurance case with pro bono partner Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS). As a participant in the VOLS Unemployment Insurance Advocacy Project, the firm represents clients whose employers have objected to their receipt of unemployment insurance benefits. In this most recent case, the New York State Department of Labor found that the claimant committed misconduct by insulting a coworker whom she had been warned to not harass. The administrative law judge, however, credited the claimant's testimony that the insult had been less offensive than claimed, and had only been used after the coworker had threatened her and (falsely) accused her of following the coworker. The judge concluded that there had been no act of misconduct and that the claimant's "employment had ended under non-disqualifying conditions." The judge therefore overruled the Department of Labor's denial of benefits.
The matter was handled by litigation associate David K. Kessler and was supervised by litigation partner Michael E. Gertzman.