PKS Law Group, P.C. is pleased to announce that Sejal Friday, Esq., employment law attorney and founder of TrainXtra, has accepted an Of Counsel position with the firm.  She will be advising clients on all employment-related matters.

After graduating with honors from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Cum Laude from Northern Illinois College of Law, Sejal has gained an extensive background in advising and representing organizations, management, and individuals on all types of employment-related matters.  Since 2003, she has counseled employers on developing and implementing sound personnel policies and practices. She has conducted numerous workplace investigations and assisted in resolving conflicts in the workplace.  Sejal provides on-site training on a variety of EEO topics including workplace civility, sexual harassment, anti-discrimination, bullying, and other employment-related topics in the public and private sectors.

Currently, Sejal is an adjunct professor at John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, California.  She had previously taught courses at the University of San Diego and California Southern University School of Law.

The PKS Law Group, P.C. is a boutique law firm representing property management firms and owners in their landlord/tenant, fair housing, and employment law matters. For more information please visit our website at www.pks-lawgroup.com

Today marks the 50th  anniversary of the passage of the Federal Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act). Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson a week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, the landmark legislation prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing based on race, religion, national origin, and sex.

Prior to the passage of the law, Supreme Court decisions like Shelly v. Kraemer (1948) and Jones v. Mayer Co. (1968), made it illegal for landlords to deny tenants or buyers on the basis of race, nevertheless race based housing decisions continued in the United States. Protestors against housing discrimination were subjected to violence and harsh treatment. Controversy also arose when family members of deceased members of the armed forced of African and Hispanic origin were denied housing in white localities.

Mass demonstrations led by MLK and by other civil rights leaders influenced the passage of the Fair Housing Act. In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a march in Chicago, known as the Chicago Freedom Movement or Chicago Open Housing Movement, protesting housing segregation.

When originally passed in 1968, the Fair Housing Act prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin. Although well intentioned, there were no federal enforcement provisions written into the law, as such the law was later amended to allow for enforcement and added additional protected classes including sex, disability and familial status.

Today, we celebrate this major milestone and reaffirm our country’s commitment to providing equal access to housing without regard to an individual’s race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, handicap or familial status.

 

NOTE: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. For legal advice please contact an experienced attorney. For information about PKS Law Group, P.C., please our website at www.pks-lawgroup.com  or contact us at info@pks-lawgroup.com

 

March 2018

The PKS Law Group, P.C. was honored to teach three courses on Landlord/Tenant and Fair Housing law for IREM’s Sacramento Restart Program with Women’s Empowerment. IREM’s Restart program is dedicated to bringing housing and employment to disadvantaged individuals caught in the cycle of poverty, substance abuse, and domestic violence. The program specifically offers training, mentoring, and job placement assistance in the field of property management.

The three seminars were taught over a period of a month and included termination of the tenancy, conflict resolution, and fair housing. We are extremely proud of the 2018 Women’s Empowerment graduates and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors!

To schedule a legal training for your company contact the PKS Law Group. P.C. at info@pks-lawgroup.com.