Oct. 13 Lecture

George H. Cohen A&S '55, Law '57 will present a lecture Oct. 13 at ILR entitled "The FMCS's New Role in Facilitating Public School Reform: Advancing Student Achievement Through Labor-Management Collaboration."

Free and open to the public, it begins at 4:30 p.m. in 105 Ives Hall.

Cohen, who has been a labor lawyer, negotiator and mediator, became director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in 2009.

From 2005 until appointed director, Cohen was a mediator. He helped resolve high-profile private and public sector disputes.

He also served as a pro bono member of the Mediation Panel for the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit.

From 1966 through 2005, he was a senior partner at Bredhoff & Kaiser, a Washington, D.C., law firm with a national practice.

Cohen specialized in representing private and public sector labor organizations in collective bargaining cases involving industries including sports, entertainment, steel, airline and rail. He also represented government entities employing teachers, police and firefighters.

As an advocate, Cohen argued five landmark labor cases before the United States Supreme Court and more than 100 appellate and federal district court cases.

In addition to being a graduate of Cornell and the Cornell Law School, he has a degree from Georgetown University Law School. As an adjunct professor there, he taught courses on collective bargaining, labor law and professional sports, and occupational safety and health law.

Before entering private practice, Cohen served as an appellate court attorney with the National Labor Relations Board.