A Life at the Intersection of Law and Labor
Stanford University professor emeritus William B. Gould IV has released his latest memoir, titled “Those Who Travail and Are Heavy Laden: Memoir of a Labor Lawyer,” a work that blends personal memoir with a sweeping account of American labor history.
The book, published in late 2025, chronicles Gould’s decades‑long career as a labor lawyer, his role in shaping employment discrimination law, and his involvement in high‑profile disputes, including the resolution of the 1994 Major League Baseball strike.
Born into a family with roots in North Carolina, Gould traces his lineage to a great‑grandfather who escaped slavery in 1862, a story that informs much of the memoir’s emotional core and underscores the enduring impact of historic injustices.
Throughout his tenure at Stanford Law School, Gould not only taught the first dedicated course on employment discrimination but also mentored generations of students, many of whom credit his visibility and advocacy for opening doors in academia and policy.
Gould’s professional milestones include appointments as chairman of the National Labor Relations Board by President Bill Clinton and collaborations with civil‑rights icons such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the late President John F. Kennedy, whose early political influence helped shape his early career.
The memoir also recounts episodes of racism he faced from some Stanford colleagues and from his father’s former supervisors at Western Electric, offering a candid look at the obstacles that persist even within elite institutions.
Beyond the courtroom, Gould’s narrative highlights his work with labor unions such as the United Auto Workers and the international solidarity network Solidarity, underscoring the transnational dimensions of the fight for workers’ rights.
Challenges to Recent Gains
While celebrating historic victories, Gould warns that many of the legal protections he helped secure are now under renewed pressure, making his reflections both a tribute and a call to renewed activism.
He argues that the labor movement must adapt to new economic realities, from gig‑economy workers to global supply chains, and that the lessons from his family’s past can guide contemporary strategies.