Vermont CLE Course Catalog

As the pressure to become a more diverse and culturally sensitive work environment grows, businesses are beginning to ask themselves who within their organizations should be responsible for implementing the changes and what changes exactly? Is it expected of corporations to take a stand on various societal issues and should legal departments, as ethical centers in their organizations, be responsible for deciding which issues to focus on and what message to send?

Given the prevalence of data breaches in recent months, it is not too far-fetched to assume that any business is/will be a target. When the breach occurs, we will look at what businesses should do to respond in the most efficient manner possible and mitigate the consequences.

During this session, we will discuss the status of investigations, enforcement, and litigation and whether or not legal departments have been seeing an uptick. Additionally, some of the discussion will focus on permanent changes to the investigations, enforcement, and litigation processes as a result of the pandemic.

The session participants will explain how legal ops can be used to better understand a legal department’s process challenges, help evaluate and diagnose system challenges, and help with technology needs in order to be as efficient and as effective as possible.

As so many aspects of our lives have changed forever, the permanent mark has been placed on the way employers acquire and maintain their employees. How have employers been finding their new employees and based on those experiences, what suggestions can be offered to their peers? In addition, our panelists will explore how corporate culture is/will be viewed going forward as well as strategies for training and promoting talent.

The discussion will focus on the latest developments with the California and other states’ privacy initiatives as well as the future of data privacy within the U.S. and how in-house counsel can prepare effectively. Specifically, our panelists will explore how to adapt your privacy operations and what is the scope of the application for each regulation.

From OSHA to HIPAA, as we gain traction on returning to in-person work, governing bodies are clamoring to identify the legality of collecting and storing all this data. What can we use it for, and when is health data storage infringing on human rights? This session will deep dive into the impact the last year has had on health data and implications in how this data can legally be used moving forward.

Forty-four states have enacted pay-equity laws since the Pay Equity Act of 1963, but despite the well-intentioned progress, we still have a long way to go to achieve laws that are effective for employees and feasible for companies to comply. In this powerhouse closing session, we will discuss how far we’ve come with pay equity law, as well as what we can do to truly reach sustainable pay equity in this country.

ESGs have long been considered more of a box checking exercise than an actual commercial driver for your business. However, as we move closer to a more global workforce, and the positive impact of global sustainability efforts are being seen and felt at every level of business, it has become clear that ESGs are rapidly becoming the focal point of organizational strategy. Our ESG experts will share insights into ethical, environmental, and even the commercial benefits of corporate ESGs.