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While pre-law is not a major at Cornell University, any major can lead to law school, and ILR has long been a top choice among Cornell students pursuing a legal career.

ILR hosts world-class faculty who research and teach from many disciplines (sociology, economics, history, business, and more) in order to understand how people work in the context. ILR undergraduates explore issues within the framework of American society. They learn to analyze texts and empirical data with methods from social sciences, humanities, and legal professions. Read more and find out about our Global Labor and Work department, which offers a wide range of applied coursework that explores mediation, negotiation, racial and gender discrimination, and conflict resolution.

Students can also join clubs that support their pre-law goals, such as the Cornell Mock Trial Association and Cornell Speech and Debate Society.

ILR Law Stories

Meet the Faculty: Lee Adler

Meet ILR's Lee Adler, labor-law practitioner and ILR lecturer in employment law and union leadership. Adler discusses working with ILR undergraduates.
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Meet the Faculty: Lee Adler

Ziva Posner: Landing Labor Law Jobs with ILR Degree

ILRie Ziva Posner '18 recounts how ILR's undergraduate degree program set her up for a career in labor law after completing law school at University of California, Irvine.
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Ziva Posner: Landing Labor Law Jobs with ILR Degree

Making Incremental Change

ILRie Jim Miller supports students through internships, scholarships and career opportunities.
James E Miller ’88 Cornell Graduation 1988
Making Incremental Change

Michael Gold Q&A

In his nearly 45 years at ILR, Gold has taught numerous courses on labor law and employment discrimination.
Michael Gold
Michael Gold Q&A

Harris '83 Named to White House Post

Seth Harris, who was the acting secretary of labor and deputy U.S. secretary of labor from 2009-14 and served for six and a half years during the Clinton Administration, will serve as President Joe Biden’s top labor adviser.

Seth Harris '83 speaks to ILR students in Dougherty Lounge in 2014.
Harris '83 Named to White House Post

Josh Mendelsohn ’04

Josh Mendelsohn is the author of "The Cap: How Larry Fleisher and David Stern Built the Modern NBA," published in October.
Josh Mendelsohn ’04
Josh Mendelsohn ’04