RESPONDING TO A CHANGING WORKPLACE: LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW STUDIES
The field of labor and employment law has never been more dynamic and
challenging than it is at the beginning of the 21st century. Over the
past forty years, sweeping changes in the interplay between the American
work place and the law have affected the everyday lives of nearly all
members of society. The American workforce has become older and
more diverse racially, ethnically,and by gender. An increasing number
of employees must balance the conflicting demands of job and family. Privacy
issues proliferate with the growth of email, voice mail, and other new
technologies. International labor and employment law is increasingly important
to the American practitioner as our economy becomes global.
The changing nature of work and of work place issues has resulted in new
legislation and regulation and posed challenges to traditional work place
regulation. Federal law now requires employers to accommodate workers'
family responsibilities by providing leave for the birth or adoption of
a
child or to care for seriously ill family members. Workplace injuries
happen far from the punch press; repetitive motion, eye strain, and exposure
to
toxins now trigger thousands of workers' compensation claims each year
and raise intriguing issues under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The complexity of the federal statutes regulating pension and welfare
plans has demanded the development of expertise in writing, managing,
and funding such plans.
Computers continue to transform communication both inside and outside
the office, and to blur the line between "work" and "home."
More and more employees now work from remote locations, challenging the
utility of the Fair Labor Standards Act to determine compensable time,
and raising issues concerning employer monitoring and employee privacy.
Actionable workplace harassment arises increasingly from electronic, as
well as face-to-face, communications. Meanwhile, the economy becomes more
global as workers and employers adjust to the effects of the NAFTA, GATT,
WTO, and similar agreements on life in the United States.
Why study labor and employment law at
Chicago-Kent?
The increasing complexity of practice in labor and employment law and
the changing landscape of the American workplace demands attorneys who
are able to function in an interdisciplinary environment and adapt readily
to change. Chicago-Kent provides the most thorough preparation available
for these dynamic areas of practice with its Program in Labor and Employment
Law. The program combines classroom instruction in theory, doctrine and
skills training with practical experience in an environment that offers
numerous opportunities for interaction with leading academics and members
of the practicing professional community.
The program is open to any student in good academic standing enrolled
at Chicago-Kent. Day division students begin the program in their second
year; evening students in their second or third year. Students in the
Program have a broad range of backgrounds. Some have actual work experience
in labor or employment relations, for example as human resource managers,
union officials, and employee benefits consultants. Others simply have
an interest in this exciting area of law.
Students in the Program benefit from the Institute's varied resources.
Students work on the Institute's publications, attend many Institute
functions and conferences, and receive formal and informal mentoring provided
by the Institute's supporters.
Chicago-Kent's student Labor and Employment Law Society provides
another forum for students to discuss and learn more about current labor
and employment law issues. The student-led LELS organizes informative
lectures and facilitates student interaction with experienced practitioners.
The LELS and the Institute jointly sponsor an annual program on Careers
in Labor and Employment Law.
Student Organizations and Activities
Labor and Employment
Law Society:
The Labor and Employment Law Society (LELS) provides
a forum for students to discuss and learn more about current issues in the
fields of labor and employment law by organizing informative lectures and
facilitating student interaction with experienced practitioners. The LELS
and the Institute for Law and the Workplace jointly sponsor an annual program
on Careers in Labor and Employment Law.
Alumni Mentor Program for Labor and Employment
Law:
Each student in the Program in Labor and Employment
Law is matched with a Chicago-Kent graduate who serves as the student's
mentor. Mentors include alumni employed in law firms representing management,
unions, or employee-plaintiffs; by government regulatory agencies; as in-house
counsel with corporations, unions or government bodies; and as employee
benefits specialists. Mentors are able to introduce students to their practice
areas and provide advice which draws on the mentors' own experiences.
Career Services:
The
law school's Career Services Office assists students in planning their careers
and implementing job search strategies. An alumni advisor network allows
students to meet practicing labor and employment law attorneys who are willing
to talk about careers in the field. A wellstocked Student Resource Center
provides directories of legal employers as well as information on specific
law firms, corporations, and government agencies.
 On the way to
a deposition, Professor Richard Gonzale: (center) briefs students from
the In-House Clinic on the complexities of an employment discrimination
suit.
Scholarship Support
Continuing law students are eligible for scholarship support, based on academic
performance, prior experience in labor and employment relations, and financial
need, from various named scholarship funds which are specifically designated
for students in the Program in Labor and Employment Law. Current scholarship
titles include:
Boeing Company Scholarship
Franczek Sullivan Scholarship
Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council Scholarship
Laner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker, Levin & Tominberg Scholarship
Louis Jackson Memorial Scholarships
Motorola Scholarship
Stickler & Nelson Scholarship
United Airlines Scholarship
Alumni Labor Law Scholarships
Law and the Workplace Scholarships
Organized Labor Scholarships
Law and the Workplace Scholarships funded by Institute for Law
and the Workplace members, alumni and friends of Chicago-Kent's labor
law programs.
Organized Labor Scholarships funded by labor unions and union
law firm members of the Institute for Law and the Workplace for students
who have ties to organized labor.
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