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What do you like most about being an employment lawyer?

The best part of being an employment lawyer is being there for people who are facing some of the worst times in their lives. I enjoy counseling my clients and reminding them that they are not alone. The fact that I then get to use my legal training to help improve their situation is an immensely rewarding feeling.


What kind of clients do you like best?

Clients who are professional and focused on succeeding in their case tend to be the easiest to work with. It is especially helpful when clients are willing to prepare and get all their relevant documents and information in order.

 

What labor and employment issues do you think are currently trending?

It is encouraging to see that Texas passed the CROWN Act in 2023; it just went into effect in September. Less than half of the country has passed a similar bill, so this is a legal frontier in its nascent stages.

 

Who is your favorite Supreme Court Justice?

RBG.

 

What is your favorite legal movie?

On the Basis of Sex

 

Besides Rob Wiley, P.C., what is the most interesting job that you have had?

I had a brief stint as a preschool teacher, and it was the best job ever. My students were the cutest stress relievers I could have ever asked for.


What is your favorite food?

Barbecue.


What’s the best part of living in Dallas, TX?

Being close to my family again after 11 years away in DC. Dallas has changed so much since I was growing up. It is way more diverse now and has a very solid food scene.

 

What skills do you value as an employment attorney?

I think the three main skills you need to be a good employment attorney are reading (tons of cases, briefs, motions, etc.), writing (complaints, oppositions, motions, etc.), and having the emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills to interact with clients, witnesses, mediators, judges, deponents, court clerks, opposing counsel, etc. The role requires a lot of interacting with people in various roles with varying goals. An employment attorney needs to know how to approach every conversation appropriately.


Have you ever learned something from one of your clients?

Every single day. In listening to my clients, I obtain additional data points on how Defendants or Respondents operate in different corporate or governmental settings. Every case is different. Each charge, claim, or lawsuit begins with a story, and that story belongs to the client. Clients know all the contours of their workplace and the relevant personalities far better than their lawyer ever will. If clients are empowered to know what is going on in their case from the start, they can offer a wealth of knowledge, insight, and perspective to help their lawyer succeed. Clients may not know all the legalese and jargon involved, but once they are steered in the right direction, they know where to look or who to talk with to get the most critical information. The more a lawyer listens to the client, the more the lawyer learns each time.

 

 

 

Rachel Bethel
Austin/Houston Employment Trial Lawyer Rachel Bethel

One key legal claim in Texas is called a “Sabine Pilot” claim. This doctrine protects employees from retaliatory terminations for refusing to engage in illegal activities. Let’s take a closer look at the rights employees have under Sabine Pilot.

What is a Sabine Pilot Claim?

The Sabine Pilot

Rachel Bethel
Austin/Houston Employment Trial Lawyer Rachel Bethel

Age discrimination is an unfortunate reality that many workers eventually face. Federal and Texas laws provide protections to ensure that workers over the age of 40 are treated fairly in the workplace. This blog will explore these protections, highlight warning signs of age discrimination, and offer tips on addressing

Rachel Bethel
Austin/Houston Employment Trial Lawyer Rachel Bethel

As employment lawyers, we often meet with potential clients who don’t quite understand the difference between plain English retaliation and the kind of retaliation that rises to the level of actionable retaliation.

There’s a good reason why people don’t know the difference. The plain English definition of retaliation

Rachel Bethel
Austin/Houston Employment Trial Lawyer Rachel Bethel

Since it is spooky season, today’s blog is about something that seems to intimidate folks from time to time—mediation. As an employee involved in an active employment dispute, you may hear your attorney advise you to consider mediation. While this may sound like a scary, daunting event, mediations are

Rachel Bethel
Austin/Houston Employment Trial Lawyer Rachel Bethel

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Rachel Bethel
Austin/Houston Employment Trial Lawyer Rachel Bethel

Introduction

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Rachel Bethel
Austin/Houston Employment Trial Lawyer Rachel Bethel

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In Texas, like in many other states, the rules governing unemployment benefits for seasonal and

Rachel Bethel
Austin/Houston Employment Trial Lawyer Rachel Bethel

A category of discrimination that does not yet have federal protection is discrimination on the basis of weight. Weight discrimination in the workplace is quite prevalent but remains unprotected nearly everywhere in the U.S. One troubling 2023 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management revealed that half of