RESOLVED. That a section be established within the American Bar Association, the purpose of which shall be to study the law of labor relations as a science, and to promote its fair and just administration; to study and report upon proposed and necessary legislation; to encourage members of the Association representing both management and labor throughout the nation to meet and confer, through said section, upon their various problems, and to endeavor to define rules of conduct based upon the rights and responsibilities of labor and industry, and through such co-operation, to promote justice, human welfare and industrial peace and recognition of the supremacy of law.
The ABA House of Delegates adopted this resolution in 1946, and thereby created the Section of Labor Law. What remains the hallmark of this section is the concept of consensus among management and labor lawyers. Rather than a democratic approach where a majority vote passes any recommendation, "every reasonable effort should be made by the members of Committees and of the Council to achieve virtual unanimity with respect to any recommended action."
In 1978, the name of the section was changed to its present form, the Section of Labor and Employment Law (LEL).
In 1985, the section became eligible to elect two representatives to the ABA House of Delegates, and since 1987, one delegate represents management and the other represents labor.