Meet Michael Ackerstein, founder of Ackerstein Law and Labor & Employment Section Co-Chair. An employment lawyer who primarily represents employees, Mike is looking forward to learning from the diverse perspectives of his colleagues and deepening his understanding of the issues shaping the field. This year, he’ll be watching how AI is changing the way employees understand and assert their workplace rights, and how courts and agencies respond.
What are you most looking forward to as a Section Co-Chair this year?
I am really looking forward to learning from the diversity of perspectives we have in our section. I concentrate my employment law practice on working with employees as opposed to employers. As a result, I spend most of my time considering issues through only one lens and from one side of the “v.” I am grateful for the opportunity to see how my colleagues who represent employers, or work for outside agencies, approach the same issues. This year in particular, where we are seeing so much change at the administrative agencies we deal with, I am eager to see how my colleagues with a different clientele tackle an unsettled environment. I am sure they will broaden my perspective as to the issues.
What’s one issue or trend in your practice area you’ll be watching closely?
I will be watching the effects of employees using AI to become more knowledgeable about their workplace rights. Employees are utilizing AI to assess their day-to-day work environments, identify potential claims, and determine whether they are experiencing unlawful activity. As a result, employees are much more likely to assert their rights internally, seek out legal assistance, or file claims pro se. I am very interested to see how the courts and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination handle an influx of pro se litigants and whether employers have to start changing the ways in which they interact with a workforce more familiar with employment laws.
Why would you encourage someone to get involved with a BBA Section?
Boston’s legal community is simultaneously much bigger and much smaller than we perceive it. Getting involved with a BBA Section lets lawyers reap the benefits of both how broad our legal community is as well as how tight knit it is. BBA Section participation enables lawyers to both expand their networks while forming closer relationships with their peers. There is a lot of thought leadership taking place in BBA Sections. Participating in a Section allows lawyers to unlock a knowledge base while establishing their own reputation as a thought leader. I have found that the more involved I am in my BBA Section, the more in-depth my understanding of employment is, and the more my peers recognize me as someone driven to be an excellent attorney.
