The National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) advances employee rights and serves lawyers who advocate for equality and justice in the American workplace.

Our Vision

Workers will be paid at least a living wage in an environment free of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and capricious employment decisions; employers will fulfill their promises to provide retirement, health, and other benefits; workers' safety and livelihood will not be compromised for the sake of corporate profit and interests; and individuals will have effective legal representation to enforce their rights to a fair and just workplace, adequate remedies, and a right to trial by jury.

NELA is the country's largest professional organization that is exclusively comprised of lawyers who represent individual employees in cases involving employment discrimination and other employment-related matters.

NELA and its 69 state and local affiliates have more than 4,000 members.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values of the National Employment Lawyers Association and essential to the achievement of our mission. When applied in unison, diversity, equity, and inclusion create meaningful representation and involvement of persons with varied backgrounds, experiences, identities, and abilities in every aspect of NELA, each with the opportunity to make robust contributions to the organization without discriminatory barriers. To express these values NELA promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organizational structure and policies, leadership, membership, programs and services, employment practices, and relationships with coalition partners and donors. NELA champions the culture of participation and equal opportunity that is woven into the fabric of our mission and vision for workers and workplaces nationwide.