First Shift Justice Project Founder Laura Brown Wins 2024 Community Impact Award at Spirit of Service Awards
Washington, D.C. – Laura Brown, the founder of First Shift Justice Project and a passionate advocate for workers' rights has been awarded the 2024 Community Impact Award by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism and Partnerships (Serve DC) at the annual Spirit of Service Awards. This prestigious honor recognizes individuals and organizations demonstrating exceptional dedication to providing critical services and resources to District residents, particularly those in vulnerable communities.
The Spirit of Service Awards, hosted by Mayor Bowser, celebrate contributions to volunteerism, national service, and community resilience across Washington, D.C. The Community Impact Award honors individuals or groups that have significantly improved access to essential services for underserved populations.
As the Executive Director of the First Shift Justice Project, Brown has spent over two decades championing the rights of working parents, caregivers, and low-wage workers, ensuring they have the legal protections and resources necessary to navigate workplace challenges. Prior to founding First Shift, Brown was an Associate at the labor law firm of McGillivary Steele Elkin LLP, Legal Director of the Workers’ Rights Clinic at the Employment Justice Center, and Staff Attorney/Business Agent with UNITE HERE Local 25, the hotel and restaurant employees' union in D.C.
A graduate of Santa Clara University School of Law, Brown is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and California. Her dedication to workers' rights earned her the 2022 Lawyer of the Year award from the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association.
In accepting the Community Impact Award, Brown expressed her gratitude, stating, “I am honored to receive this award and to continue serving D.C.'s workers through First Shift. This recognition strengthens my commitment to ensuring that working parents and caregivers in lower-wage jobs have access to the protections they deserve.”
For more information about the 2024 Spirit of Service Awards and Laura Brown’s contributions, please visit firstshift.org or contact our media representative, Gabriella Cray at gabbi@thebossblueprint.
About First Shift Justice Project
First Shift Justice Project provides free legal services to help working parents and caregivers in Washington, D.C. stay employed and navigate workplace challenges. The organization is committed to ensuring caregivers, particularly those in vulnerable populations, receive fair treatment in the workplace.
Contact:
Gabriella Cray
10/10/2024
