The annual Wurf Memorial Forum provides a platform for labor experts to discuss pressing issues in the field. In 2026, the event highlighted state-level approaches to protecting workers’ rights with a talk by Virginia Labor Secretary Jessica Looman.

For the 2026 Wurf Memorial Forum, the Harvard Trade Union Program (HTUP) and the Center for Labor and a Just Economy at Harvard Law School welcomed Jessica Looman, Virginia Secretary of Labor under Gov. Abigail Spanberger, to discuss state and local strategies to protect workers’ rights. Before being tapped to serve as labor secretary, Looman served as the administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division from 2021 to 2025.