PHOTO: Ben Grant
For the first time in many years, the University of Maine Law School in Portland is offering a labor law course for law students this semester. According instructor Ben Grant, who also serves as a staff attorney for the Maine Education Association, there are nearly a dozen students taking his labor law class, which he said is a good number considering the course hasn’t been offered for several years. He attributes the renewed interest in labor law among law students to the growing popularity of unions, especially with young people.
“I sense a lot of enthusiasm from the students. I think people are coming to my class because they have a pro-worker view on things and they want to pursue this area of law when they’re done,” said Grant. “Everyone is reading about Amazon, UAW and Starbucks so I think issues of class consciousness and organizing are more on people’s radars. For people getting into law that translates to some attractive fields of work people can get into.”
Grant pointed out that there is a distinction between labor attorneys and employment lawyers who handle wage and hour, discrimination, wrongful termination and discrimination cases, among others. Labor attorneys generally represent unions and help members understand their rights.
“We’re sort of complimentary to the organizing process and the more organizing, the more there’s going to be a need for legal advice and counsel,” he said. “I think it’s really encouraging that there are a number of young people coming through Maine law now that want to get into that field.”
Grant added that while there are quite a few lawyers practicing employment law in Maine, the state could use a few more labor attorneys.
“I think there is room for more labor attorneys in Maine, especially representing unions," he said. "A lot of larger unions do some of their work in house, but I think regarding the availability of expert counsel in labor matters it would help if we had some more people who were qualified in Maine."