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Employment Law


Course Description

Study of domestic laws, regulations, and policies affecting the workplace, with particular emphasis on legal risk for employers, including wage and hour issues, hiring and promotion decisions, worker privacy matters, and employment discrimination.

Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
In order to receive graduate credit, students must write a research paper on a current employment law topic relevant to the issues considered in the course. In connection with this research, students will be expected to read extensively on the topic and to consult with the instructor as they prepare their reading list. Toward the end of the semester, students will present their findings to the class during an interactive research seminar.


Athena Title

Employment Law


Undergraduate Prerequisite

LEGL 2700 or LEGL 2700E or LEGL 2800H


Graduate Prerequisite

LEGL 2700 or LEGL 2700E or LEGL 2800H


Semester Course Offered

Offered every year.


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Student learning Outcomes

  • Students will explain the legal frameworks courts’ use to resolve employment law claims.
  • Students will apply employment law concepts to hypothetical workplace scenarios.
  • Students will identify legal, social, economic, and various other factors influencing U.S. employment law.

Topical Outline

  • Employment Law Overview
  • The Employment Relationship
  • Wages, Hours, and Pay Equity
  • Employment Tests
  • Privacy on the Job
  • Employment Discrimination Overview
  • Hiring and Promotion Decisions
  • Harassment
  • Reasonably Accommodating Disability and Religion
  • Work-Life Conflicts

Syllabus