This seminar will analyze the common law and statutory doctrines that govern the employer-employee relationship as they have developed in response to new technologies,

This seminar will analyze the common law and statutory doctrines that govern the employer-employee relationship as they have developed in response to new technologies, forms of organization and shifts in political power. For students who have not previously taken labor or discrimination law, this course will provide an overview of employment law. For those who have taken these courses, this will provide an opportunity to place these specific statutory schemes in a broader context and pragmatically address workplace issues. We will explore the range of common law approaches (employment at will and contract doctrines; tort issues of defamation, privacy, discharge in violation of public policy, and the duty of loyalty), and the different statutory models of labor regulation (Norris-LaGuardia Act, Labor Management Relations Act, Railway Labor Act). The course will also emphasize employment discrimination (race, sex and national origin (Title VII); age; and disability) and employment benefit regulation (minimum wage/overtime, pension/health insurance, and family care/medical leave).