Four students at the University of Minnesota Law School have been awarded 2026 Peggy Browning Fellowships in workers'-rights advocacy. The fellowships are highly competitive: more than 3,300 law students applied nationwide this year, and 103 were selected. Our congratulations to all four.
The four fellows
- Nathanael Ashton-Piper ('27), a Robina Public Interest Scholar focused on workers' rights and economic justice through collective action and unions.
- Frannie Mace ('28), who will support Teamsters Local 117 and has worked on a rideshare-driver organizing committee during law school.
- William Olson ('27), who will work with the National Treasury Employees Union on the challenges facing federal workers.
- Cesar Plascencia ('27), who will serve with the United Steelworkers in Pittsburgh, after earlier work with the Communications Workers of America.
All four have long records in the labor movement, in union organizing, teacher strikes, and worker advocacy, that predate law school, and all four are active in the Student Labor and Employment Law Association and related work at Minnesota Law.
What the Peggy Browning Fellowship is
The Peggy Browning Fund places law students in summer fellowships doing workers'-rights and labor law, at unions, legal-services organizations, and advocacy groups across the country. It is named for the late Margaret A. "Peggy" Browning, a union-side lawyer who served on the National Labor Relations Board, and the fellowships are among the most sought-after entry points into labor and employment law. Being one of 103 chosen from a field of more than 3,300 is a real distinction.
For Minnesota law students
University of Minnesota Law students and alumni have complimentary access to LegalAlphabet, where they can search legal jobs and internships worldwide, including labor and employment roles. Visit the Minnesota Law campus page, browse current openings on the United States legal jobs board, or read more from our Law School News desk.
Sources
This report is based on the announcement published by the University of Minnesota Law School.
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