Cynthia Estlund

Cynthia Estlund is the Crystal Eastman Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, specializing in labor and employment law. She holds a JD from Yale Law School (1983) and a BA (summa cum laude) from Lawrence University (1978). Her research focuses on labor standards, transnational labor law (particularly China), and the evolving nature of work in the digital age. She has authored four influential books, including Automation Anxiety: Why and How to Save Work (2021) and A New Deal for China’s Workers? (2017). Estlund has also taught at the University of Texas School of Law and Columbia Law School before joining NYU in 2006.

Her academic contributions include groundbreaking analyses of labor law reforms, workplace governance, and the intersection of labor rights with constitutional principles. She has received prestigious awards such as the Podell Distinguished Teaching Award (2008) and the Samuel M. Kaynard Award (2008). Estlund teaches courses on Employment Law, Labor Law, and Torts, emphasizing regulatory frameworks and their societal impacts.

Her recent scholarship addresses automation’s societal implications, advocating for policies to equitably distribute work’s benefits and mitigate displacement risks. She also explores comparative labor law dynamics, particularly in China’s evolving labor landscape. Estlund’s work bridges legal theory with practical governance, influencing both academic discourse and policy reform.