b'ASSISTING LOW-INCOME EMPLOYERSDURING THE PANDEMICSan Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Last spring, as the Employment, Labor\x03enefitsThe goal is to achieve 1 participation among \x11ractice assisted clients with pressing pandemic- the roughlyattorneys in the firms Employment,(SDVLP) is related employment issues related to work-from- Labor\x03enefits\x11ractice.Sixmonthsintotheextremely grateful homearrangements,layoffs,furloughs,andinitiative, at the time of this publication, nearlyto Mintz and its more, its \x11ractice Chair Mike Arnold wonderedallofthepracticesattorneyshavealready how nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs,participated.employment law and other employers with very limited resourcesThelocalnonprofitpartnersprovideMintzattorneys for the werecopingwiththeirownemploymentlawwithbackgroundinformationontheirclients challenges. To explore what his team could do tofirst-rate legal assist these employers during the crisis, he reachedemployment issues. Then, following the pro bono clinic or lawyer for a day model, a Mintz attorneyservices theyve outto\x11ro\x03onoCommitteeChairSue\x07ineganwilltypicallyscheduleaone-hourconsultationprovided in our and\x0fatalie\x08root,anemploymentattorneywithaclienttoaddresstheorganizations servingonthe\x11ro\x03onoCommittee.Together,employmentlawchallenges.InthesebriefbutCOVID-19 Small thethreeattorneysbrainstormedideasonhigh-impact engagementsconducted by phoneBusiness and howtocreateafirm-wideemploymentlawdue to the pandemicthe clients can confer with pro bono initiative.attorneys who understand the local employmentNonprofit Brief Launched in early April of , the program theylandscape, their industries, and applicable stateLegal Advice Clinic. devised connects Employment, Labor\x03enefitsand federal employment regulations.Mintz has helped us attorneys across the firm with local legal servicesIn Washington, where attorney Danielle \x03ereznay organizations to provide pro bono employment lawprovide a lifeline to assistance to income-screened small businessesoverseesthelocalteamsparticipation,oneoforganizations that andnonprofitsaffectedbytheCOVID-19theinitiativesfirstprojectsinvolvedworking pandemic. \x0fatalie spearheads the national effort,withtheD.C.\x03ar\x11ro\x03onoCenters\x0fonprofitare struggling to leading Mintz employment attorneys in \x03oston,Legal Assistance \x11rogram to conduct a \x13eturnnavigate rapidly \x0few \x1aork City, Washington, DC, and San Diego.to Work live webinar for approximatelylocal smallbusinessesandnonprofits.\x07ollowingchanging laws while CollaboratingwithSue\x07inegan,sheworkedtothepresentation,theteamreceivednumerous research and identify nonprofit organizations thatfighting for their might be interested in partnering with Mintz toinquiries,primarilyfromlegalandother nonprofitorganizationsseekingadvicerelatedsurvival amid the serve their low-income constituents employmenttoimplementingCOVID-19leaves.Attorneyspandemic.law needs.provide guidance on the legal requirements of the Wehavethecapabilitiestohelpsmaller\x07amilies \x07irst Coronavirus \x13esponse Act, help to organizations and nonprofits that are strugglingupdate employee handbooks to address COVID-19 toaddressemploymentlawissuesduringthisprocedures, and assist in planning return-to-workJENNIFER NELSONpandemic, and our nonprofit partners have thearrangements for furloughed employees.Pro Bono Manager and clientbase,\x0fataliesaid.WewantedtoworkSupervising Attorney asanationalteam,soweidentifiednonprofitAttorney\x03rie\x0cluytenaarmanagesthe\x0fewSan Diego Volunteer \x1aork teams involvement. Through a partnershipLawyer Program, Inc.organizations in each of our oce locations thatwith the Lawyers Alliance for \x0few \x1aork, Mintzs mirroredoneanotherintermsofthetypesofemploymentattorneyshaveconnectedwitha services they provide.number of nonprofit organizations. \x07or example, RESILIENCE // Mintz Pro Bono Journal 5'