International City/County Management Association Audioconference for Municipalities

Joseph S. Brown and Joshua Feinstein, attorneys in the Hodgson Russ Employment Litigation Practice Group, were speakers at a September 29 audioconference hosted by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The 90-minute interactive audioconference, which was attended by hundreds of participants nationwide, provided practical strategies for local governments on compliance with anti-discrimination laws in their testing and other employment selection procedures.

In their presentation, titled “Navigating Anti-Discrimination Laws Post Ricci v. DeStefano: Solid Guidance for Local Governments,” Joe and Josh examined the implications of the Supreme Court’s landmark “reverse discrimination” decision for local governments on the use of civil service examinations, criteria for reducing the workforce and making promotions, and affirmative action plans.

The discussion addressed how the Ricci case affects local governments that use testing, what employers can learn from the majority opinion with regard to what New Haven did right, why human resources professionals need to become familiar with the Uniform Guidelines, what other employment decisions the courts might apply the Ricci decision to, and ways to minimize the risk of litigation.

ICMA is the professional and educational organization for chief appointed managers, administrators, and assistants in cities, towns, counties, and regional entities throughout the world. Since 1914, ICMA has provided technical and management assistance, training, and information resources to its members and the local government community. The management decisions made by ICMA's 9,000 members affect nearly 185 million individuals in thousands of communities — from small towns with populations of a few hundred to metropolitan areas serving several million.