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 November 6, and the award will be presented at the Annual Meeting on Friday, January 15 at the Labor & Employment Luncheon.
Contact: Lori Randle
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 lrandle@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: Milo Young: The Disconnect Between Traditional Labor Law and Modern Organizing Tactics: Digital Platforms, Decentralized Campaigns, and Employer Compliance Challenges
Second Place: Catherine E. Hancock: A Tail of Two Accommodations: The Reasonableness of Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, in a Post-Pandemic World
Milo Young
Milo recently graduated cum laude from Fordham University School of Law. While at Fordham, he co-founded its labor & employment law student organization and competed in multiple international arbitration competitions taking place in Vienna and Tokyo. He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial & labor relations from McGill University and will begin his career at Seyfarth Shaw LLP as a labor & employment associate in Fall 2026.
Catherine E. Hancock
As Director of Human Resources for Saint Elizabeth Community in Rhode Island, Kate manages the Human Resources and Payroll teams for the oldest and largest non-profit eldercare provider in the state. Kate has over twenty years of HR experience, specialized in multi-location, mission driven non-profit organizations. She is known for her unique blend of professionalism and personality. Kate is a graduate of Regis College in Weston, MA where she double-majored in Mathematics and Studio Fine Arts, with a minor in Music. She received her MBA from UMASS Dartmouth, and she is currently pursuing her JD at UMASS School of Law, with an expected graduation date of May 2027. She is a member of the Legislative Affairs Committee of both Leading Age CT/RI, and the Rhode Island chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. She served the latter organization as their Legislative Affairs Assistant during the 2025 RI legislative session. She was a featured presenter at the 2025 Leading Age RI annual conference, and will be a panel moderator at the upcoming 2026 Rhode Island Employment Law Summit. Kate is the second place winner of the 2025 Dr. Emmanual Stein and Kenneth D. Stein Memorial Writing Competition, sponsored by the Labor and Employment Section of the NYSBA. She also holds certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and is a Certified Plan Sponsor Professional (CPSP). Kate is also an admitted animal lover. Many of those who know Kate refer to her as a Renaissance woman, with her most beloved hobby being music. Kate has performed internationally in nine countries over her past 25 years as a singer. She also enjoys on-water rowing, and is an obsessive gardener. She resides in Massachusetts, with her husband Bill.