Labor and employment law program rated best in the country

Chicago-Kent’s Program in Labor and Employment Law, known for combining theoretical education with exceptional experiential learning opportunities, has been rated the top program in the country by preLaw Magazine.

The ratings, published in preLaw’s Winter 2019 issue, identify America’s top seven labor and employment law programs, designating Chicago-Kent as the best among them and the only program to earn a grade of A+. 

“With this recognition, we salute our faculty members, alumni, student employers, and Institute for Law and the Workplace members, whose input and support keep our program on the cutting edge of scholarship and skills training,” said Professor Martin Malin, co-director of the Program in Labor and Employment Law. 

"We’d also like to thank our remarkable students, whose hard work and commitment to this practice area inspire all of us who work with them,” said Professor and program co-director César F. Rosado Marzán.

preLaw Magazine notes that Chicago-Kent’s program offers a J.D. certificate, nearly 20 courses in the practice area, and “a host of practical opportunities,” including the chance to work in the Plaintiffs' Employment Clinic, which litigates workplace violations ranging from unfair termination to sexual harassment. 

“Students can work for government regulatory agencies and law firms that specialize in employment law, as well as assisting corporate in-house counsel with labor and employment issues,” the editors note. 

The magazine also emphasizes that Chicago-Kent is home to the Institute for Law and the Workplace, “which is nationally recognized for its research into employment and labor law issues.” The Institute is the academic cornerstone of the law school’s labor and employment law program, pooling the resources of leading academic scholars and the practicing professional community to explore a wide range of issues involving the law that governs the workplace. 

Each year the Institute draws thousands of lawyers and labor relations professionals to its conferences and programs, continuously involving students in its many activities as well as its two student-run publications, Employee Rights and Employment Policy Journal and the Illinois Public Employee Relations Report.

Founded in 1888, Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, a private, technology-focused, research university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, architecture, business, design, human sciences, applied technology, and law.