Labor and Employment Law Program

LEL is a workplace law hub. We educate lawyers, legislators, employers and employees on the latest legal issues in the workplace. We inform tomorrow’s research, policy and litigation. LEL houses the Cannabis Workforce Initiative, High Road NYC, the Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative, and Employee Relations and Internal Investigations programs.

Education & Training

Certificate Programs

Legal Insights & Updates

The Labor and Employment Law Program offers multi-perspective forums and conferences that address current legal topics affecting the workplace.

Promoting Fair & Equitable Employment

The Labor and Employment Law Program has been working in areas of social science research, social justice, and employment discrimination for over 20 years through its national conferences, seminars, and training programs. Its Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative (CJEI) was founded in 2014 and has grown into separate entity, now part of ILR's Outreach Strategic Initiatives Incubator.

CJEI

CJEI provides employment law training to formerly incarcerated job seekers, employers and workforce development partners across New York.

In The News

Media Mentions

New York employers no longer can use credit histories in most hiring decisions

Apr 20, 2026

WXXI

“It’s a positive thing for employees and job seekers, so that they’re not judged on their financial circumstances,” said Cecilia Oyediran, an attorney at the ILR School, about a new law in New York state that bars employers from using credit ratings to make most employment decisions.

New York employers no longer can use credit histories in most hiring decisions

New York employers facing end to job applicant credit checks

Apr 16, 2026

Newsday

“This law ensures that people are evaluated by what they can do and not by their financial circumstances from the past,” says Cecilia Oyediran, an attorney at the ILR school, about New York’s new law restricting employers from using credit checks to decide on hiring or promoting.

New York employers facing end to job applicant credit checks

4 Workplace Policies That Quietly Backfire

Apr 14, 2026

BizCat360

A guide from ILR’s Labor and Employment Law program, called “Know Your Rights: A Guide for Employees,” is referenced in a discussion of “anti-gossip rules” and “concerted activity.”

4 Workplace Policies That Quietly Backfire

Stories

Disability Compounds Employment Woes for People with Criminal Records, and Vice Versa

May 27, 2026

Cornell Chronicle

Justice-impacted individuals with disabilities are considerably less likely to be employed than people with disabilities who have not interacted with the criminal justice system, according to Yang-Tan Institute research.

Image of a job application form that has been stamped as rejected

Disability Compounds Employment Woes for People with Criminal Records, and Vice Versa

What Employers and Employees Need to Know About New York’s New Credit History Law

Feb 16, 2026

New York has passed a law that limits when employers may review or use an individual’s credit history when making employment decisions.

Cropped shot of woman holding up documents she's reading

What Employers and Employees Need to Know About New York’s New Credit History Law

A Short History of Criminal Background Searches in Employment

May 14, 2025

Members of Cornell ILR School's Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative explain how the use of criminal background checks became a commonplace hiring practice in the US over time, bringing with it issues for job candidates as well as for employers and society at large.