Laurie E. Morrison is an African American/Black female employment lawyer and employee advocate in New York, New Jersey & across the tri-state area who has successfully representing workers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful/unlawful firing cases for almost 2 decades.
A champion of Employee Rights, Laurie serves as Interim President (2021) for employee advocate organization NELA/NY, and Laurie also serves on their Board of Directors. Laurie also successfully testified before the New York State Senate and Assembly to enhance protections for employees under the NYS Human Rights Law; Laurie successfully lobbied against forced arbitration clauses on behalf of workers on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.; and Laurie helped amend the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADAAA) to expand coverage for workers. Laurie also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Chosen Family Law Center (CFLC), a nonprofit organization providing free legal support and services for LGBTQIA, polyamorous, and other underserved families.
Laurie graduated from Columbia University, Magna Cum Laude, and from Cornell Law School. Laurie was also a judicial clerk in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), and worked in prominent New York City law firms for several years. Laurie also counsels employers on establishing, developing and implementing effective employment policies and practices that help enhance employee relations and minimize the risk of costly lawsuits.
Civil Rights in the News
Laurie"
E. Morrison
Representative Cases
Some of our most recent employment law achievements include
Successfully advocating before the New York State Senate to expand coverage of the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) so that more workers are protected from employment discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
Co-drafting sections of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended (ADAAA), to expand statutory coverage to people with learning and other disabilities on behalf of the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
Successfully litigating and counseling clients on federal, state and local employment laws, including laws against discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace (e.g., Title VII, Section 1981, NYHRL); disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADAAA); discrimination, retaliation and interference with medical and family leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Successfully litigating claims for unpaid wages and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the New York Labor Law (NYLL), including helping workers receive overtime pay by defeating claims of exemptions from the FLSA, challenging misclassifications of employees as independent contractors, and establishing joint-employer status.
Successfully negotiating severance packages and benefits in connection with employment terminations.
Successfully drafting discovery and dispositive motions, including drafting a dispositive brief that resulted in successful oral argument before the New York Court of Appeals in the landmark case Hodes v. Pachter. The Hodes case interpreted Article 6 of the New York Labor Law to include statutory coverage for executives and determined when wages are deemed "earned" under the New York Labor Law.
Laurie did an awesome job in getting a resolution for my case. She was the silver lining around the dark cloud for me. Laurie is a professional and I had total confidence in her abilities to represent me. I would totally use her again and highly recommend her services.
"Laurie provided me superb, factual and practical legal advice that allowed me to make a life changing decision about my career. I am financially, emotionally and professionally in a better place. I would rehire her over and over again."
"Perfect balance of knowledge, compassion and professionalism" – "I have had a few lawyers represent me in various situations but Laurie stands out as someone who really got involved and understood all the intricacies of my case. She was always quick to respond to calls/emails. I highly recommend this lawyer."
