Desiree LeClercq

@desireelc.bsky.social

UGA School of Law. I study and teach international labor law, trade law, international economic law, and US labor law. Website: desireeleclercq.com Former USTR, ILO, NLRB SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2447202

NEW: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appears to have used an address where he did not live while voting in six elections in the past two years — despite warning voters that “it is illegal to misrepresent your residence on election records.” with @texastribune.org

Ken Paxton Vowed to Crack Down on “Illegal Voting.” He May Have Violated Texas Election Law.

The Texas attorney general appears to have used an address where he did not live while voting in six elections in the past two years — despite his warning voters that “it is illegal to misrepresent yo...

propublica.org

Thrilled to have my reflections on the recent Section 301 report on forced labor import bans in Inside U.S. Trade. We discuss the report's empirical issues & missed opportunity to cooperate in a difficult area of supply chain regulation. Interested in your thoughts! insidetrade.com/daily-news/f...

Former USTR official: Forced-labor probe undermines labor advocacy in trade | InsideTrade.com

Flawed and unsupported arguments in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s report on its investigation on forced-labor import practices could set back efforts to incorporate worker-rights gover...

insidetrade.com

Can trade policy protect workers and companies from unfair competition owing to substandard labor rights elsewhere? Will tariffs help or hurt? My new article urges a new direction built around worker autonomy and away from tariffs. I look forward to your thoughts! papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Workers' Empowerment as U.S. Trade Policy

U.S. trade policy stands at a critical inflection point. While the Biden administration’s “worker-centered” approach and the Trump administration’s “America Fir

papers.ssrn.com

The practical consequence of USTR's forced labor Section 301 report is more tariffs, but if you care about forced labor itself and want to hear more about the underlying reasoning, trade/labor expert @desireelc.bsky.social breaks it all down in her critique of the report in an IELP blog post.

The Section 301 Forced Labor Import Ban Report

On June 2, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released its report on its Section 301 investigation into acts, policies, and practices of various economies related to the failure ...

ielp.worldtradelaw.net

Landmark #ICJ ruling & win for the #ILO & workers re the right to strike. The majority applied the VCLT art. 32 to read *into* a convention (treaty) a right that the text doesn't mention & the prep works arguably point against. Focusing on the treaty and not general principles was the right move.

Bild

Are you a @ugaschooloflaw.bsky.social student interested in working with me to research #trade, the #USMCA, and #laborrights for the U.S. International Trade Commission? 👇👇👇

Dean Rusk International Law Center@deanruskintlaw.bsky.social · 3mo ago

@ugaschooloflaw.bsky.social students: this is a reminder that Professor @desireelc.bsky.social is offering a for-credit, Independent Research project in summer and fall 2026 focusing on the Rules of Origin in the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement. (1/2)

My son needs community-based care to have a full quality of life. Medicaid delivered that vital care until 2 weeks ago when he was abruptly kicked off. Republicans want to slash this care for Trump's Iran war. Who else has to lose everything before they stop? #HealthcareNotWarfare

Trump’s new budget adds an extra $500 billion to fund wars abroad — about $3,700 more for every household in America — while cutting health, jobs, housing, and education. Put simply, it takes more of your money for foreign wars, while making life in America even more unaffordable.