PowerSwitch Action

Oakland, CA

This is the 2025 fellowship description for this mentor organization. 

PowerSwitch Action is a national network organizing to build multi-racial feminist democracies in our cities, towns, and regions. Together with our 21 affiliates we are driving an agenda to bring the billions of dollars in local public investments under the oversight of the communities most impacted, to expand decision making and power to more of the residents in our regions, to support the building and growth of member-based organizations, and to fight corporate actors who use their power to extract and cause harm to our communities.

Leaders of our network and national staff recently completed our long term agenda setting a path to collective liberation and a multiracial, feminist democracy that is powered by abundance, freedom and self-determination, radical inclusion, and meaningful work that is valued. Our long term agenda is guided by four interwoven core strategies:

  • Building Authentic Democracy, by creating a body of campaigns and programs that develop ways in which to open government to resident voices.
  • Shaping A People’s Economy. The racial wealth gap, the gender gap, the rampant racism, and human exploitation are in the design of the machine. We need a new apparatus that is accountable to people, to the many.
  • Growing Civic Organizations.  An organized citizenry is best able to take on questionable or corrupt practices. We need to dramatically increase the numbers of people organized in order to effectively contest capital, stave off authoritarianism, and bring out the democracies that we envision.
  • Reining in Corporate Power. If our ultimate goal is to develop the capacity of people to govern and manage democracy and the economy then they must have experience of their power to bring corporations to heel. We can prove to the American people that it’s possible to reclaim public goods from corporate capture, reject extreme exploitation of workers, and beat back corporate overreach — all while fighting for our collective liberation.

PowerSwitch Action’s Legal Team provides movements and campaigns with the legal tools, analysis, and support they need to shift power.  Our current work includes providing wide-ranging legal support and strategic thought partnership to: (1) powerful national coalition campaigns that take on some of the biggest corporate threats to workers’ rights and community power; (2) local and state campaigns with low-wage, immigrant, and BIPOC worker and community organizations for better wages and working conditions; and  (3) public policy, organizing, and community economic development efforts to create quality jobs, produce more community-controlled, affordable homes, advance climate justice and protect the ability of local communities to make democratic change. In particular we are supporting campaigns to:

  • Win new protections for workers at app-based corporations;
  • Support organizing among and win new protections for e-commerce and warehouse workers;
  • Weave together powerful, durable statewide coalitions of workers centers, worker advocates, labor policy experts and labor unions to improve conditions in their workplaces and communities; 
  • Roll back corporate-driven state bans on local worker protections;
  • Win worker protections, equitable hiring and other community benefits in connection with energy sector projects and major stadium development projects and events

In the summer of 2025, a Peggy Browning Fellow will work with our team to:

  • Provide legal and/or policy support on a wide range of emergent, cutting-edge legal issues, including assisting with drafting memos, policy briefs and reports, and legislation;
  • Work with campaigns to identify legal claims and strategies, including developing and/or participating in strategic litigation;
  • Support community outreach and engagement work, including developing know your rights materials, popular education curricula, and participatory research projects;
  • Participate in local, state, and/or national strategy and/or coalition meetings with policy organizations, legal organizations, workers centers, unions, and other community-based groups.

During their 10 weeks of work with us, a Fellow is typically able to tackle 1 to 2 major research and writing projects and engage with 2 to 3 cutting-edge campaigns impacting thousands of workers. The Fellow will work directly with both our legal team and staff from our affiliates and allies who are driving local campaigns.

We emphasize direct client contact where possible, development of legal research and writing skills, policy and campaign research and analysis, as well as understanding of professional roles and responsibilities with regard to clients’ campaigns and decisions.  Our exceptional network of affiliates and allied organizations allows law students exposure to all aspects of effective community-based advocacy and movement lawyering.  

The total stipend for this ten week fellowship is $7000.

PowerSwitch is open to both remote and hybrid work arrangements for the Fellowship.

PowerSwitch Action is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage and seek applications from gender oppressed people (women and trans & non-binary people), people of color including bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and broader queer communities. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender/gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran statu

To Apply:

Applicants should submit the Peggy Browning basic application requirements. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Minsu Longiaru
Senior Staff Attorney for Worker Power
PowerSwitch Action
1305 Franklin St., Ste. 501
Oakland, CA 94612