Peggy Browning Fund's 20th Anniversary

Our Mission

The mission of the Peggy Browning Fund is to educate and inspire the next generation of law students to become advocates for workplace justice. Through Summer Fellowships, an annual National Law Students Workers' Rights Conference and networking opportunities, we provide diverse, challenging work and educational experiences in the area of workers' rights. Our goal is to increase the students' understanding of the current issues workers face as well as promote the students' entry into the practice of public interest labor law.

History

Born in Tennessee and educated at Swarthmore and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Peggy chose to devote her energies to workers’ rights. In her defense of workers’ interests, she never lost a case in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. She was tirelessly focused on issues such as union representation, fair and equal pay and decent working conditions. Her achievements strongly justified President Clinton’s nomination of her as the first union-side lawyer in history to be appointed to the National Labor Relations Board in 1994.

Accomplishments

• Established in 1997.
• First Summer Fellowships were awarded in 1998 with a class of 10 law students.
• In 2016, 76 Summer Fellowships were awarded.
• First National Law Students Workers’ Rights Conference was in 1998.
• As of 2016, over 2500 law students have attended the national conference.
• First Regional Workshop was held in Pittsburgh in 2012.
• Last year, 12 workshops were coordinated at law schools around the country.
• First Awards Reception was held in Philadelphia in 1999
• Awards Receptions are now held in 6 cities – Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC