Ceremony for Judge Todd

United States District Court Judge James D. Todd of Jackson celebrated his "semi-retirement" at a ceremony in the federal courthouse in Jackson on Friday. Judge Todd will soon become a senior judge.

This means that I will rarely have any future cases in Judge Todd's court. This will be a new experience for me, as Judge Todd has presided over the vast majority of my cases since my practice became exclusivley devoted to employment law in January of 2001.

I wanted to take a few lines to pay my respects to a career well spent. Though I have never had the chance to get to know Judge Todd on a deep personal level, he has issued dozens of opinions that have affected the lives of my clients significantly. Judge Todd was appointed to the federal bench by my favorite former president. His opinions have always been thoughtful and well reasoned. I haven't won every dispute that I have brought to his court, but I have always been treated with respect and fairness.

Judge Daniel Breen will replace Judge Todd in Jackson. He is a good man and a fine jurist. I look forward to practicing before him, and I wish Judge Todd God's blessings as he has more time to spend with his family and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Law and Religion

Lawyers are required to insert themselves into some fascinating situations. Perhaps this is most clear when the worlds of law and religion meet. One of the most factually interesting cases I have handled involved two devout Christians (my clients) who interpret scripture very literally. Their former employer purchased a new payroll system that required the employees to “clock in” and “clock out” by placing their hand in a machine. My clients requested a different method of tracking their hours because they believed that such a machine was a forerunner to the “Mark of the Beast” in the Book of Revelation. They believe that, near the end of the earth, people will be required to take the Mark of the Beast on their forehead or right hand to engage in commerce. They believe that this payroll machine was a step in that direction , and they asked for another way to clock in. Instead of accommodating their belief, the company terminated my clients’ employment.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers to reasonably accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of employees unless it poses an undue hardship. I always enjoy telling people about my “Mark of the Beast Case.” When you’re an employment lawyer, you just never know what type of case will walk through the door next.