Third-Year law student Jessica Fullilove was awarded the highly competitive and prestigious Peggy Browning Fellowship for 2021-22. Jessica was placed at the Chicago News Guild, where she worked this past academic year on various labor issues that included collective bargaining agreements, negotiations, grievance arbitrations and filings with the National Labor Board.
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. In 2021, the Peggy Browning Fund supported over 80 public interest labor law fellowships nationwide.
During her fellowship, Jessica improved her critical reasoning, writing skills, and she learned firsthand how her advocacy skills could make a significant impact on others. She had several opportunities to complete substantive tasks that led to workers being treated with the dignity and respect they deserved.
“One of the biggest takeaways that I have learned over this year is that labor rights are human rights,” said Jessica. “A person’s working environment can have long-lasting effects on multiple aspects of their life. Workers must have someone there to balance the power dynamics of Management. Unions are that balance,” she added.
Jessica is a native of the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago and is a First-Generation Law Student. Prior to Law School, she worked as a Flight Attendant for Spirit Airlines and was a member of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA).
During her undergraduate studies, Jessica served as a community organizer in Englewood and as the Vice-President of the Black Student Union. She came to law school keen on furthering her commitment to community advocacy by using the law to advocate for the disenfranchised. She has been an active law student where she served as Treasurer of the Black Law Students Association and participated in the 2L Mock Trial Competition. Most recently, she served on the Board of Directors for National Black Law Student Association (NBLSA) as Chair of the Midwestern Region of NBLSA. She has also been a graduate assistant at the College of Law in the Office of Strategic Communication, Alumni Engagement, and Diversity Initiatives. Jessica is interested in practicing Employment and Labor Litigation after graduation.
Jessica found this experience to be truly rewarding and would recommend that any law student who has a passion for Civil Rights or Employment/Labor Law pursue this opportunity. “I think we spend a lot of time learning about the law in the abstract in law school. During my time as a PBF fellow, I had an opportunity to see these abstract concepts in action and make a difference in the life of others.”
