Law students awarded workers' rights fellowship

Two Wayne State University Law School students have been awarded 2018 Peggy Browning Summer Fellowships.

Phillip Keller of Frankenmuth and Lauren Marie Pereny of Madison Heights were each awarded the fellowship for their commitment to workers' rights through their previous educational, work, volunteer and personal experiences.

Keller, a rising third-year student, will be a Peggy Browning Fellow at the United Auto Workers in Detroit. He is an executive board member of Wayne Law's chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and an intern for the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice. Keller has also done volunteer work to bring justice to Flint residents affected by the Flint water crisis and Detroit residents facing foreclosure. Keller earned his bachelor's from Michigan State University.

"I am honored to be selected for such a prestigious fellowship with an amazing network of inspiring students and alumni, and can't wait to get started," Keller said. "Through my studies at Wayne Law and professional experiences like this fellowship at the UAW, I hope to grow and develop skills to be a more effective advocate on behalf of working people."

Pereny, a rising second-year student, will be a Peggy Browning Fellow at the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice. She is an executive board member of Wayne Law's chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and the Law School's chapter of the ACLU. Before starting her studies at Wayne Law, Pereny worked with at-risk youth and their families in Boston and was involved with several nonprofit organizations. She earned her bachelor's from Michigan State University.

"This fellowship, and programs like it, are essential to removing some of the barriers law students encounter while trying to enter the public interest legal field," Pereny said. "I am eager to continue the fight for justice this summer at Sugar Law."

This year, the fund will support more than 80 public interest labor law fellowships nationwide. More than 400 people applied for the fellowships.

The mission of the Peggy Browning Fund is to educate and inspire the next generation of law students to become advocates for workplace justice. It was established in memory of Margaret A. Browning, a prominent labor attorney and member of the National Labor Relations Board.

Published: Thu, Jun 14, 2018