University of Georgia School of Law Professor Desirée LeClercq contributed to the annual report published by Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs (ACF) entitled “Getting China Right at Home.” LeClercq authored the article “A Pragmatic Approach to U.S.-China Labor Tensions,” which centers on the importance of the International Labor Organization in improving worker’s rights in China.

Below is an excerpt from the article:

“Tensions with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) concerning its treatment of workers have featured prominently in U.S. trade and diplomatic policies. The new administration must draw lessons from the failure of policies employed to date to entice the PRC to align its labor policies with international legal standards, not least because residual noncompliance in China has impacted domestic interests in the United States. Instead, the International Labor Organization (ILO), as a neutral intermediary, could better engender incremental changes in the treatment of workers.”

LeClercq joined the University of Georgia School of Law in 2024 as an assistant professor. She teaches International Trade and Workers Rights, International Labor Law, International Law and U.S. Labor Law. She also serves as a faculty co-director of the Dean Rusk International Law Center and as the faculty adviser for the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law.