Broad Injunctions Across U.S. Employment Rights

A Michigan federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking Michigan officials from enforcing certain provisions of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act against Right to Life of Michigan and Pregnancy Resource Center, finding the organizations have standing and are likely to prevail on expressive-association challenges. In New York, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction against a former Plug Power executive for breach of a noncompete, concluding Plug Power would suffer irreparable harm from loss of confidential information and customer relationships. An Arizona federal court denied summary judgment on Fair Labor Standards Act overtime claims, leaving genuine disputes about whether patrol lieutenants’ primary duties were exempt managerial work or non-exempt first-responder duties for a jury to decide. A Pakistan-focused investigation highlights rampant, unpaid internships in the country’s legal sector, underscored by insufficient enforcement of the Apprenticeship Ordinance and gaps in regulatory oversight that leave interns unprotected. In Washington state, a federal court refused to dismiss wage-and-hour claims against Cornerstone Building Brands Services, finding the plaintiff plausibly alleged uncompensated work and questioned the applicability of federal standards to state-law wage claims.