Julia Hawthorne Named 2025 Pro Bono Rising Star~1 min read

At Parnell, Michels & McKay, PLLC, we are in the business of conflict and conflict resolution. In carrying out our responsibilities, we often see people experiencing great difficulties, stress, and pain in their personal lives. One would think that going through that in the holiday season would take all of the joy and happiness of the season. However, over the years as we have gone through the season with our clients, what we have learned is that the magic of the season finds its way into even the most difficult of circumstances. Clients with serious and painful injuries, a mom or dad with small children experiencing their first holiday season apart after a separation, clients in many other difficult circumstances, they still manage to find…

With just a few days before one of the biggest holidays of the year, many businesses choose to reward their employees by throwing holiday parties. These festive celebrations can help reward the employees for the company’s good year while inspiring thoughts of togetherness and good cheer. However, how often do we hear about the raucousness of some holiday parties? It seems like every year, there is some national news story about allegations of sexual assault or other wildly inappropriate and dangerous behavior by superiors to subordinates or co-workers to other co-workers (e.g. this story about a supervisor who installed a stripper pole for his employees). Often, these bouts of horrendous behavior are spurred on by alcohol. Many pop culture staples have taken on the “office…