Summer Grant for Future Legal Professionals
Each year the WSBA Labor and Employment Law Section is proud to partner with Washington’s three law schools to provide student grants funding summer work in labor and employment positions at nonprofits and public sector entities around the state. The WSBA grant is awarded annually to one student from each law school through a competitive selection process administered by each of the schools.
The section awards $5,000 per student, and each of the three schools contribute additional funds.
Each November, the WSBA L&E Section is also happy to host each of the grant-winning students at its annual labor and employment law CLE in Seattle, where they can mix and mingle with section members at the CLE’s luncheon.
2026 Grantees
Matthew FitzGerald — Seattle University School of Law
Matthew FitzGerald earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington–Seattle, graduating cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with majors in Italian Studies and International Studies. His varied professional experiences, including labor union organizing, sparked his interest in labor and employment law.
Matthew began his studies at Seattle University School of Law in Fall 2025. He served as a 1L Representative for the Justice in Employment and Labor Law Organization (JELLO) and was elected President for the 2026-2027 academic year. He is dedicated to expanding student engagement and awareness in the labor and employment law field.
This summer, Matthew is serving as a legal intern with the Unemployment Law Project (ULP) in Seattle, a nonprofit legal aid organization supporting individuals navigating Washington's unemployment benefits system. He is grateful for the opportunity to assist clients and gain hands-on experience with core labor and employment law studies.
Benjamin Steinacker — University of Washington School of Law
Benjamin Steinacker, a rising 2L at the University of Washington School of Law, is also spending his summer with the Unemployment Law Project. A lifelong Washingtonian from Tacoma, Benjamin earned his bachelor's degree in linguistics from the University of Washington.
Before law school, Benjamin interned with the Washington State Senate and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. These public service experiences strengthened his interest in workers' rights and community-focused legal work, which he is continuing to pursue through his internship with ULP this summer.
2021 Grantees
Emily Ganz
Emily Ganz is the recipient of the LEL Summer Grant for 2021 from Gonzaga University. She is a rising third-year law student and was awarded the LEL Grant to continue her work with the Unemployment Law Project (ULP),
where she worked during the summer after her first year of law school and during her second year of law school. Her work at the ULP has allowed her to hone her advocacy skills while providing a service to those struggling with unemployment,
particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working at the ULP was an employment opportunity that Ms. Ganz had hoped for as an incoming law student and the LEL Summer grant allowed her to continue to perform this important work.
Thomas Kaplan
Thomas Kaplan is the recipient of the LEL Summer Grant for 2021 from the University of Washington. He is a rising third year law student and used the LEL grant to work in the summer of 2021 for Columbia Legal
Services on their Advocacy Team in their Wenatchee Office. While there, he worked on litigation and policy efforts to improve wages and working conditions in concert with farmworkers who were engaging in self advocacy, and worked to address
systemic civil rights issues for farmworker communities.
2020 Grantees
Abigail Aldridge
Abigail is a 2021 J.D. candidate at the University of Washington School of Law. She works at the school’s Workers’ Rights Clinic and has served in the military. This summer she will work at the Department
of Labor and Industries at the Washington Attorney General’s Office in Seattle in the Employment Standards Program.
Peggy Rodriguez
Peggy is a 2021 J.D. candidate at Seattle University School of Law. She spent last summer working at the Labor and Industries division of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office in the Washington
Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA) section. She will be returning to the Department of Labor and Industries this summer to continue her education and training in the field.
Justine Yarrington
Justine is a 2022 J.D. candidate at Gonzaga School of Law. She volunteers while in law school with the Juvenile Record Sealing Project and as a teacher with Street Law. This summer,
she will work at the Unemployment Law Project, a nonprofit civil legal aid organization that advises and represents Washington State workers denied unemployment benefits.
