Labor and Employment Law

Prepared by Chris Byrne
Updated June 2026
 

BOOKS, GUIDES, and DIRECTORIES

Fighting for Workers: A Guide for Law Students, Matt Junker, Drea Nunez, and Rey Fuentes, University of California Berkeley School of Law , 2018. Written by Berkeley law students, this online guide provides tips on how students can embark on a legal career fighting for worker's rights. Although some of the tips use examples available at Berkeley, the guide remains useful for students at other law schools.

The Labor and Employment Lawyer's Job: A Survival Guide, Dipanwita Deb Amar, Chicago, Ill: American Bar Association, 2007.
KF8925 .L33 A86 2007

 

ONLINE DIRECTORIES

Find organizations, attorneys, and firms involved in the area of labor and employment law using the sources below.

WESTLAW: West Legal Directory

SELECTED JOURNAL ARTICLES

Adler, Steven I. "Musings of a Long-Time Employment Attorney." 220(1) New Jersey Law Journal 27 (April 6, 2015).
A practitioner with thirty-five years experience gives advice on how to become a good employment attorney. 

Dailo, Nicole, et al. "Diversity in Defense: The Path to Management-Side Employment Law as a Diverse Attorney." 78(1) Bench & Bar of Minnesota 16 (Dec. 2021).
The article provides a better understanding of a management-side labor and employment attorney's career path and the positive impact that diverse attorneys can have in the field. 

Marinelli, Carol Ann. "Strategy & Passion for Litigation and Employment Law." Law Practice Today, Sept. 2014, p. 8.
An interview with Donelle Buratto, an attorney at law firm Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart in Birmingham, Michigan and a member of the American Bar Association, is presented. Topics covered include her reasons for choosing a career in employment litigation and employment law counseling, her work experience at the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Michigan, and how she found her first job after law school.

Shields, Joshua H. "A Swimming Legal Career." 34(6) ACC Docket, July/August 2016, p. 82.
This article profiles Lori Middlehurst, the Asia Pacific employment director for VMware, and covers her journey from law student to her current position, where she telecommutes from her home in Sydney, Australia.

 

ORGANIZATIONS

American Bar Association, Section of Labor and Employment Law
321 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654
tel: (800) 285-2221
This section addresses all aspects of employment and labor law. It provides members with information about the substance and practice of labor law.

International Labour Organization
4 Route des Morillons
CH-1211 Geneva 22
Switzerland
tel: +41 (0) 22 7996111
email: ilo@ilo.org
The ILO is the international organization responsible for drafting and overseeing international labour standards.

The National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)
NELA Headquarters
1800 Sutter Street
Suite 210
Concord, CA 94520
tel: (415) 296-7629
email: nelahq@nelahq.org

Washington, DC Office
C/O AFL-CIO 815 Black Lives Matter Plaza NW
Washington DC, 20006
NELA provides assistance and support to lawyers in protecting the rights of employees against the greater resources of their employers and the defense bar. NELA publishes the Employee Advocate Newsletter quarterly.

Photo: Associated Press