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Labor Lawyer Job Description
by Anne Rose
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Overview
Labor Lawyer Job Description
Attorneys who specialize in labor law deal primarily with the relationships between employers and unions, or organized labor. Labor lawyers work to ensure "good faith" collective bargaining for worker rights and employer interests.
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Career in Law
Lawyers, also called attorneys or counselors, work as both advisors and advocates. As advisors, lawyers counsel clients on legal obligations. As advocates, they present evidence in court on the behalf of clients.
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Labor Law Specialty
Lawyers who specialize in labor law deal with disputes between management and unionized workers. Labor lawyers counsel clients in collective bargaining and negotiation. Collective bargaining is negotiation of work-related concerns by organized groups of workers.
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Description of Work
Labor lawyers, like all lawyers, spend a great deal of time researching precedents. A precedent is a court's earlier interpretation of law and the history of judicial decisions. Labor lawyers negotiate, participate in meetings and write proposals. They interpret labor law, analyze the application of labor law to specific situations and draft new laws.
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Education
Lawyers, including labor attorneys, first earn a bachelor's degree and then complete a law degree at a law school. Students of labor law take courses in history, social science, political science and economics. After law school, they must pass the Bar Examination in order to practice.
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Famous Ties
Clarence Darrow, one of the most famous lawyers in 20th century America, spent much of his career practicing labor law, representing the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and organized labor.
