Get to Know AFL-CIO’s Allied Groups: Union Lawyers Alliance
This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our allied groups. The series will run weekly until we’ve covered all of the groups. Next up is the Union Lawyers Alliance (ULA).
Name of Organization: Union Lawyers Alliance
Description: ULA is a bar association for lawyers who represent the AFL-CIO or its affiliated unions. It was created in 1983 as the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee. In 2021, the organization changed its name to the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance with the intent of more clearly communicating its labor movement foundation and the strong ties between its members.
Mission: To facilitate the exchange of information and strategies to assist ULA members in representing their union clients; inform and mobilize union-side lawyers in the labor movement’s support of legislative and political priorities, such as labor law reform, judicial nominations and voter protection; offer legal education, technical assistance and networking opportunities to the union-side bar; and assist ULA firms and legal departments in recruiting and retaining new lawyers and lawyers of color to the practice of labor law.
Current Campaign: Protect Our Voice is the ULA’s contribution to the AFL-CIO’s Union P.O.W.E.R. (Protect. Organize. Win. Engage. Right Now.) initiative. The goals are to build labor’s legal capacity by training ULA attorneys on state-specific election laws; educate union clients with practical “know your rights” resources and voting rights guidance; deploy attorneys to support nonprofit election protection partners through poll monitoring, hotline assistance, ballot curing and rapid response; and prepare union leaders for emerging challenges by equipping ULA attorneys to advise union clients on workers’ legal rights, lawful civic engagement and mass mobilization if ballots are challenged, voting rights are threatened or significant election disputes arise.
Regular Activities: The ULA hosts a three-day annual conference for its members. The conference includes up to 18 breakout sessions on legal developments affecting unions; three plenary gatherings where attendees hear from labor leaders, workers and other activists; and numerous social events to strengthen personal and professional ties within the close-knit labor bar.
Each year, the ULA runs its Diversity, Outreach, Opportunities and Recruitment (DOOR) Program, which encourages law students of color to apply for summer clerkship opportunities at ULA law firms and legal departments. DOOR law clerks are invited to a two-day conference at the AFL-CIO where they participate in substantive legal training, meet affiliate general counsels and make connections among future colleagues in the labor bar. They are also offered the opportunity to be matched with a ULA member mentor to help them be successful in their summer employment and future career plans.
The ULA offers many other opportunities for its members to connect and share information, including regional field meetings, webinars, informal classes, and virtual message boards and LISTSERVs.
The ULA also maintains a list of labor law-related fellowships, scholarships and programs for law students, as well as a hiring hall for jobs related to labor law.
Learn More: Website