Law of Global Labor Markets

Law of Global Labor Markets - Professor Henry Drummonds

• Course Number: LAW-572
• Course Type: Foundational
• Credits: 2
• Enrollment Limit: Determined by Registrar
• Description: This class examines some of the myriad ways the globalization of labor markets creates new issues for companies, employees, and lawyers. One set of problems arises in the working conditions in global supply chains. Compliance issues arising from the interaction between corporate codes and other private ordering devices, and international labor and human rights recognized in various international labor conventions, treaties, and declarations, carry reputational and “brand” costs. Conditioning trading rights on compliance with minimum labor and human rights standards in the treaties of the European Union, the NAFTA and the TPP, and in bilateral agreements such as the U.S.- Cambodia textiles agreeement, is also explored. The impact of “host” country law on operations abroad is examined with emphasis on the role of the U.S. lawyer and human resources managers. The seminar also explores the extraterritorial application of U.S. law in such areas as employment discrimination, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and the Alien Tort Claims Act. The global labor markets also create immigration issues of law and policy concerning both “documented” workers under guest worker visa and other programs, and on the rights of “undocumented” workers under U.S. laws. Finally, the seminar will explore various ways legal work formally done by lawyers in the U.S., is now done abroad, and the potential for U.S. lawyers to lower costs to clients by embracing the globalization of legal services. The seminar will meet once a week for two hours to discuss weekly assigned readings.
• Prerequisite: none
• Evaluation Method: Class presentation; paper
• Capstone: optional
• WIE: optional