Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training: An Opportunity for Your Company

The word is out: every employer must have a sexual harassment policy by this October, and must provide annual, mandatory training.

For many, "mandatory training" may seem like another costly obligation, even if the topic is worthy.  But what if a training about harassment could focus on using respect and inclusion to promote not only legal compliance, but a healthy and thriving workplace culture?

The LOSA offers custom trainings that not only help clients meet the newest requirements, but work with leadership to examine workplace culture, and draw out and enhance what is best.

Based on a client's unique identity, the LOSA uses role-play, understanding of industry and company history, and sometimes even improvisation to not only teach the law, but let attendees practice following it.  Goals for company communication style, esprit de corps, and healthy workplace can be added to the mix.

You can contact the LOSA team to explore this option.  Silicon Valley wishes it had access to a training like this!

 

Announcing "LOSA Practices" on LOSA Base (our Facebook Page)

Lawyers like to write.  And talk.  And talk about writing.  And writing about talking....

But in the midst of all that nuanced communication, we develop some crystal-clear take-aways.  "LOSA Practices" is our firm's distillation of our apex tips from the mountain of legal analysis we generate.  

Of course, "LOSA Practices" is not legal advice.  Don't climb the mountain without a guide!  But they are some goals for your assent.

We'll feature "LOSA Practices" on this page, and on LOSA Base, our Facebook Page.  Please visit, and comment, and make your journey with us.

The LOSA is Ignited!

Based on a proposal to hire from right within the neighborhoods of our city, the LOSA has moved to the final round of the "Ignite Buffalo" competition! 

Along with an inspiring array of local businesses, we've be pitched our vision to bring in employees with the language and cultural experience to help us serve our region's newest entrepreneurs. 

The LOSA vision has always included building our team with employees from our region's multi-lingual immigrant population--and those who have born the brunt of Buffalo's systemic poverty.  This grant is hitting the gas on that plan! 

This grant will help us market to, support, and even host trainings for Buffalo's next generation of people who, as we say, "See It, Build It, and Work it. " 

This fall, please stop by to see our newly ignited team.

 

"Check it Out" Training in Rochester

LOSA lead attorney Stephanie ("Cole") Adams travelled to Rochester with Buffalo business consultant Nicola Medley Ballard to a conduct a role-play and discussion based training: "Checking out Respect: Recognizing, Addressing and Preventing Harassment in your Library."

"Librarians work with a huge array of material, interact with people from all walks of life, and work to ensure information is accessible to all," says Cole. "This mission can lead to interactions of enormous enlightenment...but can also create circumstances where ignorance or misunderstanding can leave staff or patrons feeling they were treated unfairly."

The training addressed not only race and gender, but gender expression, national origin, age, religion, ability, and other forms of illegal discrimination.  Attendees left with a checklist of tips and techniques they saw in action during the session.

"'Checking Out Respect' takes library staff beyond the legal definitions, and into the skills for addressing behavior that is alienating or abusive," says Cole.  "Our main message is: lead by example.  To help people do that, I am lucky to be co-presenting with Nicola Ballard, who has so much experience showing people how to be gracious and to cultivate a diverse environment." 

The LOSA offers these type of highly customized to the professionals they serve.  If your library is interested, or you're in another professional arena where this approach might be helpful, feel free to get in touch!

 

Training Space: Ready to Launch

Starting this fall, the LOSA's front space, where our attorneys gather in a work-share environment, will be hosting legal training sessions related to our practice.  From copyright, to construction, to employment, to housing, these sessions will teach, entertain, and foster community. Under the incoming klieg lights, in a space designed for healthier seating (yes, we have chairs, but we have better options, too), we'll work with our clients and attendees to host events that convey knowledge and celebrate creativity!

The LOSA Office is moving! ...about 50 feet.

With the addition of 2 attorneys and another member of our core staff, the LOSA is bursting at the seams.  So, we are moving to a larger space in our building!

The new LOSA will have not only our trademark collaboration space, but three rooms for confidential consultations.  This work-share space model, honed to fit the ethics of the legal profession, promotes collaboration, creativity and confidentiality.  And it's right next to a record store.

So, walk past the retail windows on the south side of 363 Grant Street sometime after June 1, and here is what you'll see:

Our staging table centering the LOSA training center and workshare space at the front of the building;

Our three themed consultation rooms, designed to honor the three corners of our practice: creativity, information, and construction.

Our central coordination "Bridge" where our office team will support the LOSA mission to help our clients see it, build it, and work it.

"Top Ten" for artists at MWP/Pratt this Friday!

LOSA lead attorney Stephanie Adams will be at the beautiful Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute (MWPAI) campus on May 4th, 2018, to conduct a training on art law for students and faculty.

MWPAI is one of the cultural jewels of central New York, and over a decade ago, the prestigious Pratt Institute in Brooklyn forged an affiliation and started a campus there.  The result is an arts program sited in a mix of historic and contemporary architecture.

Students at MWPAI can start a Pratt bachelor’s degree in art and design education, communications design, fine arts, or photography. 

The LOSA is delighted to visit the campus to talk with students and faculty about their rights as artists.

 

So [non-fiction writer] you want to write a book?

The LOSA is participating in the Buffalo History Museum's series for local non-fiction authors!

So You Want to Write a Book? Navigating the Non-Fiction Publishing Process is a four-week publishing workshop (on Saturdays), where "local librarians, authors, publishers, and those who have navigated the process will share their knowledge on best practices and lessons learned."

Together with the BHM's Library Director, Cynthia VanNess, and Buff State's Archivist & Special Collections Librarian, Dan Dilandro, LOSA firm member/owner Stephanie Adams will present the first session "Copyrights and Copywrongs," covering permissions, intellectual property, and the anatomy of a book.

The next 3 sessions cover proper citation (a must in this un-cited age), staying on track (unblock your road), and a meeting with publishers (learn what it takes to get published).

Good topic, good people.

Register here.