Lawyers in the field of labor and employment law deal with the relations between workers and their employers. Labor lawyers represent either union workers or management and deal with issues such as unfair labor practice charges under the National Labor Relations Act, collective bargaining negotiations, union organizing, and arbitration of union and employee grievances. Attorneys in this practice area may also advise labor or management on other workplace issues, such as affirmative action policies, issues concerning wages and work hours, preparation of employee handbooks, employee policies, covenants not to compete, employee terminations and severance arrangements.
An outgrowth of labor law is employment law. Employment lawyers represent plaintiffs and employers on a wide variety of issues that are not covered by union contracts. They may represent or defend clients on issues such as employment discrimination based on race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or other types of civil rights violations. Employment lawyers may also represent clients who are sued for breach of employment contracts, breach of covenants not to compete, wrongful discharge, invasion of employee right to privacy, and sexual harrassment.
Labor and employment lawyers, particularly those representing management, often work in medium or large firms or as in-house counsel for large corporations. Plaintiffs' lawyers can be found in firms of all sizes, including boutique and solo practices. Unions also employ labor lawyers to handle issues concerning its members, and attorneys specializing in labor and employment law work for federal and state government agencies, such as the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission to name a few.
Other Labor and Employment Websites
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Career Listings
Peggy Browning Fund Fellowship
AFL-CIO Law Student Union Summer
Core/Foundation CoursesThese are the entry level courses that -- at a minimum -- employers expect a student interested in this specialty to have.
Recommended Courses
Students interested in this practice area should consider including one or more of the following courses as electives.
- Advanced Legal Writing
- Labor Relations Law II
- Negotiation/Mediation
- Oral Communications
- Protective Labor Legislation
- Public Sector Labor Relations Law
- Sex Based Discrimination
- Trial Advocacy
Enrichment Courses
These courses deepen or broaden the skills and substantive information that a lawyer in this field needs and also provide advanced courses for students interested in a specialty within this area of practice.
- Collective Bargaining: The Negotiation Process
- Collective Bargaining: The Arbitration Process
- ERISA
- Health Law and Administration
- Insurance Law
- NLRB Seminar
(Note that whether a particular course is scheduled depends on faculty
availability and student demand.)
Clinics, Externships, and Internships
The Labor Law Externship provides placements for students in a labor law setting. Students spend two days a week working under the supervision of attorneys of the National Labor Relations Board in Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission in Madison, or in other similar agencies. They attend hearings, write draft opinions, research issues, write memos, and in general are exposed to the broad range of work done by the agency. A weekly seminar on current issues provides additional learning opportunities.
Student Organizations and Related Activities
There are three student journals -- Wisconsin Law Review ,
Wisconsin International Law Journal , and Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender & Society -- that give students an opportunity to assist with and
contribute to the Law School's scholarly publications. These publications
provide invaluable training in legal research and writing. Students may
receive credit for this activity.
Moot Court is a mock appellate advocacy program that provides invaluable experience for students in brief writing and oral advocacy.
Mock Trial provides real trial experience at a competitive level.
Students participate in nationwide competitions that give them opportunities
to give opening and closing statements and direct- and cross-examine witnesses.
For the student interested in litigation it is an invaluable experience
to learn skills you may not get in the classroom.
Unemployment Compensation Appeals Clinic
The Unemployment Compensation Appeals Clinic is staffed by volunteer student advocates who assist clients in obtaining unemployment compensation benefits. Student advocates work closely with supervising attorneys from the community and gain litigation and case management experience while helping those in need of benefits who cannot afford representation.
Faculty
Here are some of the full-time faculty who teach or have an interest in this subject area:
Administrative Law
John Ohnesorge
Room 4321A
(608) 263-7603
jkohnesorge@wisc.edu
Stephanie Tai
Room 8104
(608) 890-1236
tai2@wisc.edu
Labor Employment Law
Carin
Clauss
Room 7107
(608) 262-3422
caclauss@wisc.edu
David
Schwartz
Room 9110
(608) 262-6708
dsschwartz@wisc.edu
In addition to our full-time faculty, the Law School's adjunct faculty members -- prominent practicing lawyers and judges -- bring their specialized knowledge and experience to the classroom.
