Workers' Rights

The Clinic accepts a number of cases in which workers pursue disputes with their employers or former employers, or in which workers seek employment-related benefits from the state. Students may be assigned to work on cases involving employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, breach of employment contracts, wage disputes, claims for unemployment compensation or workers' compensation, or other matters relating to employment. They may be assigned to investigate complaints brought to the clinic by new clients, or they may be assigned to ongoing cases, already in the process of litigation. Many cases involve hearings before administrative tribunals. In the past, students have participated actively in full scale trials of discrimination and wrongful discharge claims, as well as in drafting documents, conducting discovery, preparing trial briefs and jury instructions, and writing appellate briefs. These cases offer many opportunities for students to research rapidly changing areas of the law and, along with their faculty supervisors, develop strategies for negotiation or litigation.