The Peggy Browning Fund has awarded 10-week summer fellowships to Rachel Calvert (’19) and Dominique DiNallo (’19) to pursue public interest labor law work. With more than 400 applicants and only around 80 fellowships awarded nationwide, the application process is highly competitive and speaks to the outstanding qualifications of both students.
Peggy Browning Fellows are distinguished students who have not only excelled in law school but who have also demonstrated their commitment to workers’ rights through their previous educational, work, volunteer, and personal experiences.
Calvert will be a Peggy Browning Fellow at the Laborers' International Union of North America in Washington, D.C. Originally from Oklahoma, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University. Her studies in government shaped her understanding of the history and politics driving the contemporary labor movement. She spent her first summer of law school at the Earthjustice Rocky Mountain office, working on community health, pollution, and public lands issues. She hopes to put her law degree toward a dynamic and empowering movement for justice.
DiNallo’s Peggy Browning Fellowship will be at United Auto Workers in Detroit, Michigan. DiNallo grew up in New Mexico where both of her parents were members of the National Education Association. Her father was a high school counselor and her mother was a special education/elementary teacher who advocated for disenfranchised populations in their community. Her father grew up in the Detroit area where unions played an important role in improving the lives of DiNallo’s relatives. Early on she learned the history and importance of the labor movement. Living in a town bordering an Indian reservation also gave DiNallo insight into racial and class tension and oppression. Seeing firsthand how people without representation were taken advantage of, DiNallo developed a passion for workers’ rights and fighting discrimination. Since starting law school, she has participated as an active member of the National Lawyers Guild and other human rights organizations.
“Domi and Rachel each have a demonstrated passion for working in pursuit of social justice and using their legal education for the greater good. Their selection for these fellowships from a highly competitive, nationwide field of candidates recognizes that strong work and commitment,” said Alexia McCaskill, director for government and public interest in the Colorado Law Career Development Office. “The Peggy Browning Fellowship allows both of these Colorado Law students to gain firsthand experience and mentorship in the legal departments of two well-respected labor unions, as each student pursues their interest in social and economic justice. We are extremely proud, but not surprised, that the Peggy Browning Fund selected them for this opportunity.”
Five Colorado Law students have been selected as Peggy Browning Fellows since 2015.
About the Peggy Browning Fund
The Peggy Browning Fund is a not for-profit organization established in memory of Margaret A. Browning, a prominent union-side attorney who was a member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from 1994 until 1997. Peggy Browning Fellowships provide law students with unique, diverse and challenging work experiences fighting for social and economic justice. These experiences encourage and inspire students to pursue careers in public interest labor law.
Pictured (L-R): Rachel Calvert and Dominique DiNallo