Avery — Volume 57, Issue 3

This article introduces a symposium marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of James B. Atleson's groundbreaking work "Values and Assumptions in American Labor Law." The symposium gathers legal scholars, practitioners, and historians to discuss the book's impact on labor law scholarship and practice. Atleson's methodology challenged traditional doctrinal approaches by examining the underlying values and assumptions embedded in labor law cases. His work identified how courts applied core values from pre-Wagner Act common law traditions in the statutory context. The article explores four key aspects of Atleson's approach: his attention to values underlying doctrine, his skepticism toward conventional wisdom, his empirical examination of case patterns, and his commitment to social justice. The symposium participants represent diverse perspectives including labor unions, business organizations, and academic legal scholarship.

Topics: Labor & Employment · Legal History

Keywords: labor law · Values and Assumptions · James Atleson · judicial values · employment doctrine