Cornell University mobile logo

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

Learn more

LEL delivers forums, conferences, specialized training modules and certificate programs for HR professionals, workplace practitioners, union leaders and representatives, policymakers, and attorneys. Our policy and equity-focused convenings bring together scholars, practitioners, policymakers and students to share knowledge and shape practice. We offer legal insights and news to educate and inform, bridging research, policy, and practice to address today's workplace challenges.

Promoting Fair & Equitable Employment

Learn more

For over 20 years, LEL has worked to promote fair and equitable employment. Through our Workplace Rights Hub, we deliver resources that guide employers and employees through their rights and responsibilities, encouraging workplace practices that benefit everyone involved.  LEL's Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative (CJEI) provides research, training, and resources that assist job seekers and help employers, practitioners, and policymakers expand employment opportunities for justice-impacted individuals.

CJEI

Learn more

The mission of the Criminal Justice and Employment Initiatives (CJEI) is to unlock employment opportunities for the 2 million justice-impacted New Yorkers in our communities by working with employers, job seekers, reentry organizations, and correctional and government officials. 

In The News

Media Mentions

New York employers facing end to job applicant credit checks

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

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

Cost of living a major concern for New York workforce

Cornell Chronicle
Now in its fifth year, the 2024-25 New York at Work report draws on ILR expertise, research-based data and policy analysis on a broad range of key issues affecting the state’s workers, unions, communities and employers.
Cost of living a major concern for New York workforce