Michael C. Harper

Barreca Labor Relations Scholar
Professor of Law
A.B. magna cum laude, Harvard University
J.D. magna cum laude, Harvard Law School

Interests: labor and employment law; administrative law; sports law

Michael Harper is a leading authority in the area of labor and employment law. Since joining the Boston University School of Law faculty in 1978, he has witnessed a growing student interest in this field. "Employment law has generated some very interesting litigation over the last two decades," he says. "Because employment is central to an individual's life - often defining his or her identity - the practice of employment law demands insight into many complex social issues as well as a solid understanding of current laws and regulations."

Early in his career, Professor Harper clerked for Judge J. Skelly Wright of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and served as staff attorney and director of the Student Internship Program at the Center for Law and Social Policy in Washington, D.C. He has co-authored several major casebooks, including Employment Discrimination and Employment Law and Labor Law, and he has written many journal articles, including “Judicial Control of the National Labor Relations Board’s Lawmaking” for the Boston University Law Review, “The Continuing Relevance of Section 8(a)(2) to the Contemporary Workplace” for the Michigan Law Review, “Employer Liability for Harassment Under Title VII” for the San Diego Law Review, and Age-Based Exit Incentives, Coercion, and the Prospective Waiver of ADEA Rights for the Virginia Law Review. He also has served as a reporter for the American Law Institute’s Restatement of Employment Law.

In addition to teaching classes in labor law, employment law and administrative law, Professor Harper offers a popular seminar examining law and sports. A life-long devotee of American and English literature, he also has an interest in law and literature.