A lesson from Columbus Day

When I took the dog out for her morning walk, I noticed a newspaper in my driveway. You might not think that is all that remarkable, but when you only have weekend delivery, a Monday newspaper means one of two things: either the delivery person screwed up, or today’s a holiday. That is how I remembered that today is Columbus Day. No banks, no mail, no courts, but a Plain Dealer in my driveway. (Apologies to my wife for not bringing the paper in – lost in my own thoughts walking back into the house).

Christopher Columbus set out for Asia, and ended up discovering the Americas. Here’s where I bring this around to employment law. Where you start a case may not be where you end up. You might think you have the greatest defense since the ‘85 Bears, until the decision maker royally screws up his deposition. Or, you could have a serendipitous moment when you discover during the plaintiff’s deposition that he lied on his job application and never even graduated from high school (yes, this once happened to me). Few employment cases end up where you think they will when you start. The ability to course-correct is the hallmark of a winning case.

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Presented by Kohrman Jackson & Krantz, with offices in Cleveland and Columbus. For more information, contact Jon Hyman, a partner in our Labor & Employment group, at (216) 736-7226 or jth@kjk.com.