To recognize excellence among law school students writing in the area of labor and employment law; and to cultivate the relationship between the Section and future labor and employment practitioners.
Dr. Emanuel Stein enjoyed an enviable national reputation as an outstanding labor arbitrator for more than 40 years and was a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators. Throughout his career he held to the highest ethical and professional standards, strongly believing that the parties wanted the arbitrator to “Call them as you see them, and let the chips fall where they may.”
He served as a public member of the Regional War Labor Board in New York during World War II and the Wage Stabilization Board during the Korean Conflict. Dr. Stein was appointed by President Kennedy to investigate the dispute between Trans World Airlines and its navigators and to a panel to resolve a longshoremen’s strike on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. He also served on various state panels, including one that investigated conditions at New York’s race tracks. He was on the panels of the American Arbitration Association, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, as well as those of New York and New Jersey.
Dr. Stein’s first love, however, was for the classroom and for teaching a freshman economics course each semester. He taught at New York University, including its Law School, for 44 years, was Chair of its Economics Department from 1955-1967 and Executive Director of the Institute of Labor and Social Security from 1948-1962. He was honored by NYU with the title of Professor of Humanities. Popular with his students, he was an early recipient of the Alumni Federation’s “Great Teacher Award.”
Kenneth Stein, Dr. Emanuel Stein’s son, was an outstanding labor and employment lawyer in his own right until his untimely passing at the age of 65 in 2009. He was a name partner in Benetar, Isaacs, Bernstein, Schair & Stein, and in 2004 assumed the role of Managing Partner of the New York City office of Ford Harrison, which he helped open. An active member of the American, New York State and New York County Bar Associations, an author and columnist, and a highly respected leader in his firm (“a lawyer’s lawyer “), Kenneth Stein was honored with listings in “The Best Lawyers in America” and “Who’s Who in American Law.”
Presented by: Labor and Employment Law Section
The nomination deadline is October 31st, and the award will be presented at the Annual Meeting on Friday, January 17th at the Labor & Employment Luncheon.
Contact: Emily Kurtzner
Award Criteria: Articles must be original from the applicant. Submissions should focus on any timely, compelling aspect of labor and employment law. Only one submission per student.
All articles are to be submitted in the following format: a) submitted by email to ekurtzner@nysba.org; b) double spaced; c) on 8-1/2 inch by 11 inch paper, 1 inch margins; d) no longer than 20 pages (exclusive of endnotes); e) citations are to conform to “A Uniform System of Citation” (The Bluebook).
If published by the Section, all articles submitted for the competition become the property of the Labor and Employment Law Section and the New York State Bar Association. No article submitted may be published in any journal or periodical other than the “New York State Bar Journal”, or the “Labor and Employment Law Section Newsletter”, until after announcement of the winner of this competition in January.
Students should include a cover letter with the entry stating your name, mailing address and phone number (both school and permanent), name of your school and year of graduation. Do not include your name or personal information on your paper.
Prize Awarded: First Place: $3,000 and publication in Section newsletter; Second Place: $2,000; Third Place: $1,000.
Dr. Emanuel Stein and Kenneth D. Stein Memorial Writing Competition
New York State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section
First Place: Moon Hwan Lee: Reimagining Worker Rights in the Gig Economy: Bridging the Gap Between Independent Contractors and Employees
Second Place: Natalie Seah: Demystifying Employment Status Definitions in Labor Law and Tax Law: A UK Perspective
Third Place Tie: LeAnn Cain: Reality TV Participants are Employees: A Proposed Solution to Legal Claims Against Production Companies
Third Place Tie: Forest Dearing: No Exit: Employee Noncompete Agreements in American Healthcare
Moon Hwan Lee
Moon Hwan Lee is an LLM student at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Graduating summa cum laude from Germany and previously receiving a national Minister of Education award in Korea, Moon has demonstrated a strong commitment to academic excellence, legal innovation, and public service. As a top 3 finalist in the U.S. National Legal Innovation Tournament, his team developed innovative solutions aimed at improving equity and accessibility in legal systems. This experience reflects his broader interest in addressing systemic challenges and advocating for fairness in labor and employment contexts. Moon is currently coauthoring a medical project paper with Rush Medical Center, exploring legal standards in malpractice cases with implications for workplace safety and accountability. As an intern at the Center for Disability & Elder Law and a Legal Content Editor for Illinois Legal Aid Online, he has gained firsthand insights into systemic challenges faced by individuals and workers alike. These roles inspire his commitment to advancing fairness, dignity, and equity in labor and employment law.
Natalie Seah
Natalie Seah is an LLM Candidate at New York University School of Law, and is enrolled in the prestigious International Tax Program. Prior to her LLM, she graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Double First Class Honours in Law, earning several accolades such as the Rebecca Flower Squire Scholarship and Marie Lawrence Prize for her exceptional performance. She is deeply interested in the intersection between tax law and labour law, and is particularly excited about the opportunity to engage in work that bridges law and public policy in the future.
LeAnn Cain
LeAnn is currently a 2L at Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. LeAnn is involved in several campus activities such as being a Staff Writer for the Campbell Law Observer, 2L Student Representative for SBA, Committee Chair for SBA’s Diversity Committee, Secretary for the Health Law Association, and the Student Worker in the Admission’s Office. This past summer, LeAnn interned at Campbell University’s Office of General Counsel and was a companion for older adults on the side. Before starting law school, LeAnn worked at a nonprofit as a Student Support Specialist serving elementary aged students. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in both Psychology and Social Work from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. Right after undergrad, LeAnn attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) where she earned her Master’s in Social Work.
Forest Dearing
Forest Dearing is a recent graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law. During his time at Mizzou Law, he served as an Associate Member of the Board of Advocates and was heavily involved with the school’s traveling Moot Court team during which time he competed in multiple tournaments highlighted by a semifinalist award at the regional tournament for the NYC Bar National Moot Court Competition. Through his experience working as a Summer Associate for a complex litigation firm he gained valuable experience in the field of data privacy, however more recently he has become very passionate about labor and employment law and hopes to specialize in the field in the coming years. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2017.