February 17, 2022
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Personnel Webinar: The Americans with Disabilities Act Update: The Impact of COVID-19
In this webinar, Jonathan Mook will present an overview of significant ADA developments that occurred in 2021, particularly as they concern the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues such as whether COVID-19 (and, in particular, long COVID) is a “disability,” the applicability of the ADA’s direct threat defense to COVID-19, incentives an employer may offer employees to get a COVID-19 shot, and whether vaccination status and COVID-19 test results are protected medical information will be discussed. Jonathan also will offer a preview of emerging ADA issues that municipalities can expect to face in 2022, including assessing medical and religious exemptions to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements and the expansion of telework as a reasonable accommodation.
Speaker: Jonathan Mook & Robin Cross
Jonathan Mook is a nationally recognized practitioner in employment law and has written two treatises: Americans with Disabilities Act: Employee Rights and Employer Obligations and Americans with Disabilities Act: Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities, both published by LexisNexis. He represents employers and businesses on matters relating to employment law, business torts and business disputes.
Mr. Mook frequently counsels employers on issues involving compliance with the ADA and accommodating disabled employees, as well as other employment related matters. Mr. Mook is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Bender’s Labor & Employment Bulletin. He also is a co-editor of the Mid-Atlantic Employment Law Letter and is a regular contributor to several legal publications. He is included in Best Lawyers in America (2022 ed.) for employment law.
Mr. Mook is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia Bars, and is a member of the Labor & Employment Law Section of the District of Columbia Bar and has been a member of the Alexandria Commission on Persons with Disabilities. He earned his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.
Roberta "Robin" Cross is an attorney with Messer, Fort, McDonald, PLLC, a full-service municipal firm, assisting cities with their legal issues, from Annexations to Zoning, having offices in Frisco, Austin and Abilene, Texas. She has over twenty years’ experience advising and representing local governments and was recognized as an IMLA Fellow in 2013. She has also worked as in-house counsel for a statewide police labor union and as a trial attorney for the EEOC. She is licensed to practice in Texas and is admitted to all of its federal courts, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. She is Board-certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She has served as President of IMLA’s Personnel Section since 2018, which led to her being awarded the William I. Thornton, Jr. IMLA Faculty Award in 2021. She enjoys employment law, because the fluid factual scenarios and changing legal landscape keep this area of the law interesting.