In 1997, the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee (LCC)–a network of approximately 1,900 union-side attorneys representing unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO—created the LCC Minority Outreach Program to encourage law students of color to apply for summer clerkship opportunities at LCC law firms and legal departments. The outreach program seeks to introduce minority law students to the practice of law in the labor movement and to encourage them to join the ranks of union-side attorneys in the ongoing battle for social and economic justice. Hundreds of law students have gained valuable exposure to labor law and the labor movement through this outreach effort. During their clerkships, the students typically deal with important issues arising under a wide range of labor and employment laws, including the National Labor Relations Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Americans with Disabilities Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Also, in recent years, as immigrant workers have played a larger role in the labor movement, many students have gained exposure to a variety of immigration-related issues.
At the conclusion of the networking conference, students are placed in the LCC Mentor Program, through which experienced LCC attorneys provide guidance and support during and after the students’ clerkships. Many Minority Outreach Program alumni have been hired by LCC firms and legal departments, as well as federal agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board. If you are interested in applying at a law firm or legal department, apply directly to the employer. Click here for a listing f participating employers. To apply, send a resume and cover letter detailing your interest in labor law and public interest work. Availability of positions and hiring varies by firm and legal department and hiring decisions are the sole discretion of the law firm or legal department.
If you would like additional information about the LCC Minority Outreach Program, please contact:
Angelia Wade Stubbs
AFL-CIO
Associate General Counsel
815 16th St.
(202) 637-5385
mop@aflcio.org