Pursuing International Labour Rights in U.s. Courts: New Uses for Old Tools

Filing lawsuits in US federal and state courts for workers' rights violations suffered by workers employed by American corporations abroad is one of several strategies for promoting labour rights. To succeed, such suits must first overcome the strong presumption against extraterritorial effect of US law. Other jurisdictional hurdles like "inconvenient forum" also require caution in bringing suits. With the right strategic choices, labour rights litigation can be an effective means of advancing workers' rights in the global economy.