Understanding Employment Law: Exploring the Role and Responsibilities of an Employment Lawyer

 An employment lawyer is a legal professional who specializes in the employment law. They advise and represent the employees, employers, and also organizations on all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, except for matters related to the labor unions and collective bargaining agreements. Let us explore more into what an employment lawyer is and the roles.

The Role of an Employment Lawyer is to protect the Employee.

An employment lawyer performs several key functions related to the workplace:

- They counsel employees on their many rights under employment and labor laws. For example, they might advise an employee who was terminated without any cause on their legal options or determine if discrimination played a role in the termination.

- They assist employees in many matters like wrongful termination claims, severance negotiations, or claims related to discrimination, harassment, wage issues, retaliation, privacy concerns, leave requests, and much more.

- They represent employees in the legal disputes with the employers, like claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or lawsuits brought against employers. This can include negotiating a settlement or taking a case to the court if necessary.

- They counsel employers on compliance with the employment laws and regulations. They also ensure company policies - like payroll practices, the termination procedures, and leave allowance - comply with the federal, state, and local laws.

- They represent employers in many legal disputes brought by the employees, like the discrimination lawsuits. This involves building a legal defense on the company's behalf.

- They draft, review and also update employee handbooks, company policies, employment contracts, and also severance agreements to ensure they align with the current laws.

Employment lawyers stay up-to-date on the latest legislation and also court rulings that affect the employer-employee relationship. They provide very good advice, tailored to the facts of every single case. Most employment lawyers specialize in representing either the employees or the employers, but some represent both sides.

Education and Background

Employment lawyers have a four-year undergraduate degree, typically in an area like English, political science, economics, or pre-law, followed by graduating from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.

In law school, they take many general courses on topics like constitutional law and contracts, but then focus their electives on employment law, labor law, and also discrimination law. Clinical experience working in the law school employment law clinics is very excellent preparation for a career as an employment lawyer as well.

After law school, most states require the prospective employment lawyers to pass the bar exam to practice law and get licensed. Several states also require completing continuing legal education courses on employment law regularly to maintain their license.

Many new employment lawyers gain a lot of vital experience as associates at the law firms before potentially becoming partners at the firms or opening their own solo legal practice. Joining professional associations like the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law section are great ways for employment lawyers to build their network and credentials.

With solid law school preparation, licensing, and a few years of hands-on experience under their belt, employment lawyers can enjoy a very rewarding career empowering the employees and employers to navigate their legal rights and responsibilities at work.