Professor Matt Bodie and Professor Charlotte Garden

Labor & Employment Law Concentration

Program Highlights

  • Unique and wide variety of core, specialized and interdisciplinary courses throughout the University of Minnesota
  • Externship programs at the National Labor Relations Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Minnesota Department of Human Rights
  • Employment Law Clinic, representing small business owners and low-wage workers
  • Part-time and summer employment in state and federal agencies, law firms and Fortune 500 corporations
  • Active Student Employment and Labor Law Association
  • Networking and career employment opportunities with alumni worldwide

Study Opportunities

  • Concentration courses range from introductory courses in labor and employment law to specialized courses on the Americans with Disabilities Act in the workplace, alternative dispute resolution, employment discrimination, comparative labor and employment and an advanced topical seminar in employment law.
  • Interdisciplinary graduate study opportunities available throughout the University of Minnesota, including the Carlson School of Management, Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and the departments of sociology and applied economics.

Practical Opportunities

  • Employment Law Clinic: students counsel small business owners on employment issues and represent low-wage workers in claims for unemployment compensation benefits.
  • Students earn course credit for externships at the National Labor Relations board and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Minnesota's Human Rights Department and Bureau of Mediation Services.

Employment Opportunities

  • The Twin Cities vibrant business and legal community offers students abundant opportunities for part-time work during the school year or full-time work during the summer in labor and employment law.
  • Prospective employers from around the country come to the Law School to interview students for summer and permanent positions. Our graduates work in law and business schools, at state and federal agencies, as arbitrators and mediators, and as in-house counsel in corporations and unions, in large and small private law firms.

Student-Led Opportunities

Student Employment and Labor Law Association (SELLA): one of the most active student organizations at the Law School, hosting networking events and monthly meetings with speakers who address controversial issues in the field.