LawTalk: Law, Labor, and the People Behind the Policies with Dr. Brandon Hunter-Pazzara (Georgetown University) 

Note: Quotes have been edited for clarity and concision.

Episode Highlights

How Immigration Led Me to Labor Law

Both of my parents are immigrants from Latin America, so immigration has always been close to me. And in the U.S., immigration is inseparable from labor, because migrant workers do so much of the work—often in sectors where pay is low or conditions are harsh. That’s really what first pushed me to focus on labor and workers’ rights.

Dr. Brandon Hunter-Pazzara

What I Learned at Workers Defense Project

Working with the Workers Defense Project in Austin, I helped migrant workers recover unpaid wages and seek compensation for injuries—often through public pressure, protest, and negotiation, not just lawsuits. That experience showed me both the power and the limits of law, and how legal strategies have to work alongside political activism, social organizing, and mobilization in the community.

Dr. Brandon Hunter-Pazzara

Law as a Way to Democratize the Workplace

Labor and employment laws aren’t just about minimum pay or basic safety; they’re also a way we try to democratize the workplace. Work is a social activity, not just whatever the boss decides, and workers should have some say over their conditions. When laws are worker-friendly, workplaces tend to be more democratic and egalitarian; when they’re more employer-friendly, workplaces start to look dictatorial and authoritarian.

Dr. Brandon Hunter-Pazzara

Knowing Your Rights—and Talking to Your Co-Workers

Whatever job you have, it’s worth taking the time to learn the health and safety risks and the standards that are supposed to protect you—even an office job has real ergonomic and health issues. The other crucial step is talking with your co-workers so you can tell whether a problem is just happening to you or is something everyone is facing. That kind of communication and shared knowledge is often the first step toward identifying a real workplace problem and figuring out what to do about it together.

Dr. Brandon Hunter-Pazzara

Shaping the Future of Work

The future of work isn’t just something that happens to you—it’s something you can help shape. A lot of what we call “innovation,” like treating Uber drivers as independent contractors, is really about dismantling labor protections and deregulating jobs. The question for your generation is what kind of workplace you want, and what kinds of policies we’re willing to fight for to make that future a reality.

Dr. Brandon Hunter-Pazzara

Leaning Into Slow, Deep Learning

I always encourage young people who care about justice to read widely and closely about the issues they’re passionate about. Learning isn’t like ChatGPT or a computer where you try to process information as fast as possible—it’s a slow accumulation of knowledge over time. Leaning into that slowness of quality learning is what really separates the strongest learners by the time you get to college.

Dr. Brandon Hunter-Pazzara