UM Student Earns Labor Law Fellowship
By Lily Soper, UM News Service
MISSOULA – 猎奇重口 law student Oscar Lemus-Arellano recently received the Peggy Browning Fellowship. Named after prominent labor attorney Peggy Browning, the fellowship supports opportunities for law students interested in labor law to work toward economic and social justice.
Having received his bachelor’s degree in psychology, Lemus-Arellano began his career as a children’s therapist. Working within the private healthcare system, he witnessed working conditions that inspired him to learn more about labor law.
“We had therapists working full time, doing very difficult work, who still needed to go to the food bank because they were not making enough money for groceries,” Lemus-Arellano said. “Another clinic would schedule people to work 29 hours – right below the threshold to qualify for health care. This just left folks without health care for medical expenses that they could not afford.”
Child therapists serve an invaluable role in society. But with so many peers unable to make ends meet, Arellano wondered, who advocates for the advocates? The answer, it turns out, is unions.
So Lemus-Arellano joined the Service Employees Service Union Local 775 in Washington state, working as a union organizer. Representing homecare and nursing home workers, the chapter was part of the international SEIU union. Additionally, SEIU had its own union that Lemus-Arellano joined, officially titled the Staff Union Union.
“There was a clerical error when my coworkers filed for a union election and typed ‘union" twice.’” Lemus-Arellano laughed. “We chose to embrace the name ‘Staff Union Union.’”
Both his work as an organizer and a union member inspired Lemus-Arellano to pursue law school upon discovering the integral role attorneys play in negotiation.
“Big companies always bring their own attorneys to the table,” he said. “For laborers to have their own helps balance an already imbalanced power structure.”
While choosing a law school, Lemus-Arellano was drawn to the UM Alexander Blewett III School of Law’s robust Environmental Law Program, as well as 猎奇重口’s deep labor history – especially in mining towns like Butte.
“I also love being outdoors,” he laughed. “猎奇重口’s amazing. The hikes, views and national parks didn’t hurt.”
The fellowship sent Lemus-Arellano to the 26th Annual National Law Students Workers' Rights Conference, which took place last fall in Baltimore.
“I connected with so many labor firms and union leaders, along with other students who were selected for the fellowship,” he said. “It’s kind of like a networking event with a lot of workshops to help us in our practice once we graduate.”
After graduating, Lemus-Arellano hopes to work at the intersection of labor and environmental law.
“Environmental issues are worker issues,” he said. “I know that having a deep understanding in environmental law will be crucial to continue advancing worker rights. The environmental law classes I'll be able to take here are going to be very helpful.”
Lemus-Arellano also said, thanks to the help of Assistant Dean Katy Stack, he was able to get a labor internship over the summer that gave him invaluable practical experience at a very early part of his law school journey.
“It’s really empowering to make connections with your coworkers, paying attention to what conditions could improve and discussing together how to improve them,” he said “Having an attorney in the room to advocate for your cause can be make-or-break during negotiation. I look forward to using my education to help workers work for what they’re worth.”
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Contact: Lily Soper, events and marketing coordinator, Alexander Blewett III School of Law, 406-243-5730, lily.soper@mso.umt.edu.