2020 Peggy Browning Summer Fellows

2020 Peggy Browning Summer Fellows Katherine West JD’22 University of Cincinnati College of Law Cincinnati, OH Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Washington, DC Raised in Kentucky, Katherine was first exposed to the labormovement through herworkwith several political campaigns, as well as her personal experience in both the retail and food service industries. Katherine served as the inaugural student fellow with an immigration clinic in South Carolina and as a consultant with the National Legal Aid and Defender Association in Washington, DC. As a United States delegate to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Papua New Guinea, Katherine saw the impact exploited low- wage workers have on the international economy. Her undergraduate education in political science and gender studies motivated her to turn her passion for labor and employment law into a career. Angie Weiss JD’21 Seattle University School of Law Seattle, WA Teamsters Local 117 Seattle, WA Angie has held a passion for organizing and advocacy since she walked her first picket line at eight years old. As a fourth-generation union worker, Angie is excited to use her legal training to ensure workers are treated with fairness and dignity. In her previous roles as field organizer, lobbyist, and legislative assistant, Angie worked in coalitions with unions representing industrial workers, teachers, graduate students, and state employees. She supported their goals of safe workplaces and well-funded staffing. In law school, Angie has researched emerging legal issues for gig economy workers and worked for a labor arbitrator. Angie is vice president of the university’s Labor and Employment Law Association, a member of the Law Review, and the mentorship chair for the Women’s Law Caucus. Sarper Unal JD’21 University of California College of Law Irvine, CA Mehri & Skalet, PLLC Washington, DC Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Sarper became passionate about the labor movement and engaged in the efforts to fight corruption in government due to the economic inequality and the socio-political instability in the country. In college, he organized the student body as part of the Living Wage Campaign at the University of Virginia, while earning a degree in Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law. During law school, his commitment to advocating for those that are underrepresented and underserved led him to a year-long internship with the Orange County Public Defender’s office. Motivated by his personal negative experience with access to justice in Turkey and energized with a commitment to progressive values, he envisions a career dedicated to serving vulnerable people and making change along the way. K. Jeff Wang JD’22 University of Michigan Law School Ann Arbor, MI Communication Workers of America (CWA) Washington, DC After college, Jeff worked in Chicago as a delivery driver and then as a communications intern. While dealing with low pay and frustrating work, he learned about the labor movement. Jeff found radical power in its core message—that everyone deserves a decent, dignified life, and that this can be won through solidarity, organization, and collective action. In response, he became a research intern at SEIU Local 1 and afterward as an organizing volunteer with UNITE HERE Local 1. In this latter role, he is proud to have helped members win year-round health care through a 30-hotel, city-wide strike. Now Jeff serves on the boards of the Michigan Immigration & Labor Law Association and National Lawyers Guild, and on the organizing committee of the Graduate Employees’ Organization (AFT Local 3550).