Second Carolina Student Named Peggy Browning Fellow

Lilly Winfree, a second-year student at the University of North Carolina School of Law, has been selected as a 2025 Peggy Browning Fellow, making Carolina Law one of the few schools with multiple recipients of this prestigious fellowship. She will join LiUNA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Organizing Coalition (MAROC) in Washington, D.C.

“I was drawn to labor law after trying to unionize my workplace and seeing the barriers people experience when trying to improve their working conditions,” Winfree said. “These barriers felt particularly high in the South. I noticed the need for more accessible legal support to safeguard workers’ rights.”

At LiUNA MAROC, Winfree will support union organizing efforts across North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. “I’m excited to contribute to the work LiUNA MAROC is doing to support and empower workers in our community,” she said.

The Peggy Browning Fellowship, which began with just 10 fellows in 1997, now selects about 118 law students annually from across the nation. Fellows work with labor unions, worker centers, and union-side law firms to advance workers’ rights.

“The Peggy Browning Fellowship is a prestigious and highly competitive program,” said Senior Director of Student Engagement Kaitlyn A. Parker of the Career Development Office. “Lilly’s selection for this fellowship reflects a dedication to advancing workplace justice and a strong commitment to public interest law. That we have two fellows this summer is a testament to UNC Law’s strong commitment to public service and ability to prepare students to be impactful advocates for their communities.”

Winfree joins classmate Emily Kaplan in receiving this honor, with Kaplan set to work at Murphy Anderson PLLC.