A newsletter from West providing Westlaw® search tips for corporate counsel and staff

Q: I've just been assigned my first employment termination case. Is there a quick way to identify my state's prohibited reasons for employment termination?

A: Use the Termination of Employment database (TERMEMPL), which contains the full text of Termination of Employment. In particular, you can browse Part II of the publication, which provides a state-by-state analysis of termination-related statutes, common law, rights, and benefits. Each prohibited reason for employment termination in a particular state is examined in its own quick-to-read section. A section contains ample citations to cases, statutes, and other authorities, as well as links to cited authorities.

The fastest way to view and retrieve sections pertaining to your state is to use the Table of Contents service, which you can access by clicking Table of Contents at the TERMEMPL search page. For example, to identify the grounds for termination prohibited by Ohio law, click the plus (+) symbols next to Part II. State Laws and Regulations and Chapter 38. Ohio.

Bonus! National comparison chart: You can quickly retrieve a chart that compares the current law of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico governing various termination prohibitions. Access TERMEMPL and run the search "overview of state laws".