HR Law Certificate Program
The Human Resources (HR) Law Certificate program gives you the legal and ethical tools to take on workplace challenges in a world of rapid technological, social and legal change. With this program, you will learn best practices and practical applications of the law to human resource situations. You will also explore current issues that you may come across in your current position.
In this online program, you will get the flexibility you need to work and learn on your schedule while connecting and interacting with expert Pitt Law faculty who work as employment law practitioners. You will also network and collaborate with peers in other industries and locations through our engaging online learning platform.
Program Benefits
- Learn on your schedule with asynchronous classes
- Complete the program in 10 months
- Learn from experienced, working legal experts who teach courses and concepts applicable to real-world challenges
- Gain access to a valued and diverse network of colleagues and mentors within the Pitt Law and broader Pitt communities
- Graduates of the Human Resources Law Certificate (who have fulfilled the applicable requirements) will be eligible to sit for some of the industry-based human resources certification exams offered by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI)
Download Program Brochure
Find the online program that fits your needs. Our Online Master of Studies in Law (MSL) program is designed for professionals seeking to enhance their careers through a legal education with a versatile alternative to the traditional three-year JD degree. Our graduate certificates can further your expertise within a specific area of the law in 10 months. Students who complete a certificate program have the option of applying those 15 course credits toward the Online MSL degree.
Complete the form to get a program brochure for Pitt Law’s Online MSL plus your chosen specialization, or your chosen certificate program, delivered to your inbox.
Objectives of the Certificate in HR Law
Through the coursework in the HR Law program, students will be able to:
- Understand the laws and regulations that govern the field of HR
- Get a deeper understanding of the legislative, judicial and administrative agency context of human resources law
- Master the skills and knowledge necessary to identify the legal aspects of human resource issues and address those issues in an ethical manner within diverse contexts
- Know when human resource legal knowledge and authority is required for problem-solving
- Be aware of emerging trends and issues in human resource law (e.g., artificial intelligence, great resignation, privacy and data laws)
- Build proficiency and skills for managing workplace conflict
- Improve communication and presentation skills
- Participate in peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities with other legal professionals (including employment law attorneys)
Pitt Law’s HR Law Certificate Program Students
The certificate in HR Law program is ideal for:
- HR professionals who want to enhance their understanding of HR laws and regulations
- Graduates of business administration programs who wish to develop a more thorough understanding of HR law and practices
- Professionals interested in an exciting career change
- College graduates interested in entering the HR field
- Attorneys who wish to acquire an appreciation of the HR field, client needs and issues
The HR Law Certificate program went online in August of 2019. The cohort is comprised of professionals working in various roles in an array of industries. A majority of the students already hold graduate degrees and found the certificate program was an excellent compliment to their current education and professional experience.
Here is a sampling of the titles HR Law students hold:
- Human resources administrator
- Chief of staff for a firefighters and paramedics union
- Coordinator at a design and construction company
- Clinical research coordinator
- Contracts officer at a university
- Commander for university police
- Director of human resources at a hospital
- Program director for university advancement
- Senior director of human resources business for a major sporting goods retailer
- Management consultant at a university small business development center
- Assistant dean of operations
Human Resources Law (15 credits)
Introduction to the Legal System for Human Resources; Hiring and Firing (3 Credits)
This course will begin by explaining primary sources of law and exploring the judicial process, which will include an overview of state and federal court systems, state and federal administrative agencies, jurisdiction, class actions, the civil litigation process, and alternative dispute resolution. It will next look at job classification: whether a worker is an employee, an independent contractor or a student intern. Next this course will review job selection and hiring issues, such as resume fraud, background checks, questions considered inappropriate to job seekers, employee contracts, non-competition and arbitration agreements, protecting trade secrets, job references, and vicarious liability. Finally, this course will cover selected legal disputes surrounding job termination: claims of wrongful discharge and violation of whistleblower laws.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe the importance of law to human resources
- Differentiate constitutional law, statutory law, administrative law, and case law
- Describe the elements of the basic court system structure, identify the typical steps in the civil trial process, and describe dispute resolution alternatives to trials
- Identify potential legal challenges an employer faces in the hiring process and the different types of contracts that an employer and an employee can enter into at the time of hiring
- Identify the different types of contracts that an employer and an employee can enter into at the time of firing
- Identify potential legal challenges an employer faces following employee termination and analyze whether a dismissed at-will employee may bring a claim of wrongful discharge
Wages, Hours and Benefits (3 credits)
This course will begin with an examination of issues presented by the Fair Labor Standards Act: minimum wage, overtime, off-the-clock work, and child labor. It will next look at human resource record keeping functions such as personnel file maintenance, medical file maintenance, performance evaluations and disciplinary actions. Finally, this course will cover selected employee benefits and income maintenance issues, such as health insurance, pensions, disability benefits, unemployment compensation, family and medical leave, and plant closing/mass layoff notification.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Explain federal legislation such as Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) that relate to the management of human resources
- Analyze guidelines of the Fair Labor Standards Act including minimum wage, overtime, and off-the-clock work for non-exempt employees
- Apply legal requirements and best practices in record keeping for personnel files
- Examine common employee benefits such as health insurance and retirement
Working Conditions (3 credits)
This course will begin with an overview of labor law and health and safety at work, including employer obligations under the federal National Labor Relations Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, and state workers compensation laws. This course will explore selected labor-management relations issues, including situations where employees (union and non-union) engage in concerted activity for their mutual aid and protection. It will also cover employee privacy issues, such as workplace appearance and hygiene, drug testing, “love contracts,” privacy in “off the job” conduct, employee monitoring, social media, and politics in the workplace.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Explain basic labor-management relations issues and identify basic unfair labor practices
- Understand the employer’s basic obligations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act
- Identify issues posed for employers when employees are injured on the job or cannot work due to disability
- Evaluate employee privacy issues for a variety of behaviors both “on the job” and “off the job”
- Understand how the computer can be a useful HR tool and also a source of problems in the workplace
Anti-Discrimination Law (3 credits)
This course will cover federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws and will begin with identification of protected classes, including race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, and disability. It will next look at employment discrimination enforcement mechanisms, legal defenses, and legal remedies. Finally, it will look at “types” of discrimination, including disparate treatment, disparate impact, harassment, and retaliation claims.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Analyze the coverage of numerous anti-discrimination laws and identify protected classifications from discrimination, including those that may trigger reasonable accommodation obligations
- Understand the various legal theories of discrimination, including disparate treatment, disparate impact, harassment, and equal pay for equal work
- Apply anti-discrimination laws to every aspect of the employment relationship, from recruiting to separation from employment (and beyond)
- Analyze the impact of anti-discrimination laws on various workplace policies, such as policies covering background checks, drug and alcohol testing, language fluency, leaves of absence, performance and salary reviews, and attendance
- Engage in the interactive process for providing reasonable accommodations
- Analyze the legal process for discrimination claims before administrative agencies and/or the courts
- Develop diversity and inclusion initiatives that are both lawful and strategic
Selected Topics in Human Resources Law (3 credits)
This is the capstone course for the HR Law certificate. Students will select two different two-week subject matter seminars in order to customize their studies, take quizzes covering the seminar materials, and prepare a paper and a presentation that demonstrates an understanding of the substantive content of a selected topic in human resources law. Students will also present a short video presentation which encapsulates the paper. The grades for work in the two-week seminars will each constitute 25% of the student’s grade for the course. The grade on the capstone project, which includes the timely meeting of certain markers at designated points in the course, will constitute 50% of the student’s grade for the course.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify and fully explain the laws, issues and solution surrounding a selected human resources law challenge.
- Organize your initial project topic work into an outline
- Prepare a professional paper that is well written and well supported and which addresses a specific human resources law topic
- Synthesize research on a legal topic in the field of human resources
- Differentiate between universal human resources challenges and environment/organization-specific challenges
- Conduct independent research on human resources topics
- Compose and present a concise oral summary of a written research project and thesis via video recording
HR Law Certificate Course Spotlight
Introduction to the Legal System for Human Resources; Hiring and Firing
This course begins by explaining primary sources of law and exploring the judicial process, which includes an overview of state and federal court systems, state and federal administrative agencies, jurisdiction, class actions, the civil litigation process, and alternative dispute resolution.
Then, students will look at job classification—discerning whether a worker is an employee, an independent contractor, or a student intern. Next, the class will review job selection and hiring issues, such as resume fraud, background checks, questions considered inappropriate to job seekers, employee contracts, non-competition and arbitration agreements, protecting trade secrets, job references, and vicarious liability.
The course concludes with selected legal disputes surrounding job termination, including claims of wrongful discharge and violation of whistleblower laws.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the importance of law to human resources
- Differentiate constitutional law, statutory law, administrative law, and case law
- Describe the elements of the basic court system structure, identify the typical steps in the civil trial process, and describe dispute resolution alternatives to trials
- Identify potential legal challenges an employer faces in the hiring process and the different types of contracts that an employer and an employee can enter at the time of hiring
- Identify the different types of contracts that an employer and an employee can enter into at the time of firing
- Identify potential legal challenges an employer faces following employee termination and analyze whether a dismissed at-will employee may bring a claim of wrongful discharge
Professor Hornack is on the legal committee for the non-profit Disability Rights Pennsylvania, is a prior chair of the Allegheny County (Pennsylvania) Bar Association’s Law and Disability Committee, and is a frequent lecturer on disability rights matters.
Students interested and experienced in the human resources field will find that Professor Hornack enjoys treating his students like colleagues.
Earning Your HR Law Certificate is Just the Beginning
With your HR Law Certificate, you may be eligible to sit for the HRCI and SHRM exams. These industry exams are a valuable opportunity to advance your career.
Certificate students who successfully complete a graduate certificate program with a 3.0 GPA have the option to pursue the Master of Studies in Law degree at Pitt Law.
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