This new edition (formerly Heinsz, Nolan, & Bales' Labor Law casebook) takes a distinctive approach to the topic. The first quarter provides a mini-course in American labor law history, describing the development of labor law in the U.S. This section provides students with the social, political, and economic context necessary to appreciate the doctrinal material presented in the remaining book. Unlike most labor law casebooks, this one remains lean: cases are tightly edited, notes are brief, and the text hews closely to major points. The streamlined presentation is ideal for professors who wish to supplement the material with simulations or other experiential learning exercises.


Imprint: West Academic Publishing
Series: American Casebook Series
Publication Date: 04/25/2018

Dennis R. Nolan, University of South Carolina School of Law

Richard A. Bales, Ohio Northern University College of Law

Rafael Gely, University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law

CasebookPlus™

This title is available in our CasebookPlus format. CasebookPlus provides support beyond your classroom lectures and materials by offering additional digital resources to you and your students. Anchored by faculty-authored formative self-assessments keyed to our most popular casebooks, CasebookPlus allows students to test their understanding of core concepts as they are learning them in class – on their own, outside of the classroom, with no extra work on your part. CasebookPlus combines three important elements:

  • A new print or digital casebook
  • Access to a downloadable eBook with the ability to highlight and add notes
  • 12-month access to a digital Learning Library complete with:
Multiple-choice self-assessment questions, including:
  • Chapter questions keyed to the casebook
  • Black Letter Law questions (available in select subjects)
  • Subject area review questions for end of semester use
Essay and short answer questions with sample answers and expert commentary, in 1L and select upper-level subjects

Leading digital study aids, an outline starter, and audio lectures in select subjects

Students can still utilize CasebookPlus digital resources if they’ve purchased a used book or are renting their text by purchasing the Learning Library at westacademic.com.

With CasebookPlus, you can customize your students’ learning experience and monitor their performance. The quiz editor allows you to create your own custom quiz set, suppress specific quiz questions or quiz sets, and time-release quiz questions. Additionally, the flexible, customized reporting capability helps you evaluate your students’ understanding of the material and can also help your school demonstrate compliance with the new ABA Assessment and Learning Outcomes standards.

Below is a list of updates to the new edition:

  • Updated references throughout the casebook to more recent court decisions, NLRB decisions, and secondary sources
  • Reorganized some of the chapters to conform to recent developments in labor law (e.g., discussion of the use of social media in organizing campaigns)
  • Expanded the “short history” section by adding a discussion on the organizing experience of women workers, and by adding a section at the end of Chapter 3 addressing developments since the enactment of the Landrum-Griffin Act
  • Added discussion of recent cases in areas such as:
    • The organizing rights of student athletes; and the definition of the terms “supervisor,” “independent contractor,” and “bargaining unit” (Chapter 4)
    • Employee rights to use employer’s email systems for organizing purposes, neutrality agreements, and remedies (Chapter 5)
    • Secondary boycotts (Chapter 6)
    • Definition of the term “concerted activity,” and the legality of employers’ restrictions on the use of social media by employees (Chapter 7)
    • Discussion of recent developments regarding the enforceability of arbitration agreements involving statutory claims (Chapter 8)
    • Duty of Fair Representation (Chapter 9)
  • Added a discussion of recent regulatory changes, such as the attempt by the Obama Board to streamline the union election process
  • Added discussion of new organizing approaches, such as workers’ centers

Learn more about this series.