Employment and Labor Law Section

2011 - M. Malissa Burnette

2012 - Herbert W. Louthian

2013 - Fred W. Suggs, Jr.

2014 - Franklin G. Shuler, Jr.

2015 - Jonathan P. Pearson

2016 - Vance J. Bettis

2017 - Professor Thomas R. Haggard

2018 - Leigh M. Nason

2019 - Bev A. Carrol

2020 - R. Allison “Al” Phinney

2021 - Kathy Dudley Helms

2022 - J. Lewis Cromer

2023 - J. Hagood Tighe

2024 - Donald Gist

2025 – David McCormack

The Distance Learning Education Committee will work with the Bar’s Continuing Legal Education Division (CLE) to establish high quality, intermediate to advanced level online distance learning programming. The Committee will research potential speakers to provide a wide variety of employment and labor law topics. The CLE Division will communicate directly with the speakers regarding topics, taping dates and locations. The Committee’s goal is to produce up to 10 distance learning programs that will be posted on the Bar website for purchase and viewing by Bar members; and to secure a diverse faculty in terms of practice, gender, experience, specialization, geographic location and so forth. The CLE Division will offer Section members a $20.00 discount on all these programs. For additional information or to join this Committee, please contact Nekki Shutt at nshutt@burnetteshutt.law or by calling (803) 904-7912.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Committee concentrates on all aspects of equal employment opportunity under federal and state law in both private and public employment, including: employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age and disability; the interface of equal employment opportunity issues with collective bargaining situations under the National Labor Relations Act; use and validation of selection devices; affirmative action under Executive Orders 11246 and 11375; procedures and remedies in class action employment discrimination suits; and liaison with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the Department of Justice. For additional information or to join this Committee, please contact Mary Littlejohn at mary.littlejohn@eeoc.gov or by calling (864) 565-0353.

The purpose of the Immigration Law Committee is to keep readers up to date with the latest developments in immigration law and related issues such as I-9 employment verifications. There are numerous agencies involved in or impacted by various aspects of immigration law, including the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. State Department, the Social Security Administration, the U.S Department of Labor, and even the IRS.  Together with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, immigration laws and regulations are perhaps the most complex, and certainly more in flux, than any other body of federal law and regulatory provisions.  Certainly, few other issues arouse political passions more than immigration both at the federal, state, and local levels. Indeed, in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform encompassing illegal immigration, many states and local municipalities have waded into the immigration arena on issues as diverse as driver’s licenses, business licenses, and the award of government contracts. The Committee will strive to inform our readers of key issues relating to immigration as they affect businesses and employees on the international, national, and local levels. For additional information or to join this Committee, please contact Bernhard W. Mueller at bernhard.mueller@ogletreedeakins.com or by calling (803) 252-1300.

The Labor Management Relations Committee informs its members of developing laws and policies under the National Labor Relations Act and deals with issues germane to union campaigns, elections, and union administration and procedure.  For additional information or to join this Committee, please contact Michael Carrouth at mcarrouth@fisherphillips.com or by calling (803) 255-0000.

The Membership Committee concentrates on membership development within the Section. The Committee’s goal is to increase membership, determine what benefits members most want, maintain a strong Section, and to provide quality support.  For additional information or to join this Committee, please contact Jay Babb at jay@cbphlaw.com or by calling (803) 799-9530.

The Occupational Safety & Health Committee follows developments under the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, as well as various state plans through which occupational safety and health laws and regulations are enforced. The Committee provides members with updates on developments and trends in the occupational, safety and health area. For additional information or to join this Committee, please contact Michael Henthorne at michael.henthorne@ogletree.com or by calling (803) 252-6873.

The Specialization Committee addresses a variety of specialization issues from providing suggestions to the board regarding the written examination and other specialization requirements to notifying individuals of specialization deadlines and requirements.  For additional information or to join this Committee, please contact Hagood Tighe at htighe@fisherphillips.com or by calling (803) 255-0000.