Michael Weiner Scholarship Recipient Spotlight: Joseph Landry

Michael Weiner was known for his unending dedication to his family and employees’ workplace rights. It is that dedication that Joseph Landry, a recipient of the Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies, hopes to replicate. 

“Michael’s concern for all workers and respect for the principles of collective bargaining are ideals that we share,” Landry said. “Michael’s kind demeanor and dedication to giving his all to the members are qualities to which I aspire.”

Landry, a New Ipswich, N.H., native and current student at Columbia Law School, grew up in a family that was positively affected by the power of collective bargaining. It was his parents’ and grandparents’ hard work that piqued his interest in the field. 

“I came to law school to learn how to represent workers in their efforts to seek justice and fairness at work and in society as a whole,” Landry said. “I’m committed to labor law so that future generations can have what my family was able to earn through an honest day’s work.”

After graduation, Landry plans to work as a labor lawyer in the effort to build a more modern labor movement for the 21st century.

“In recent years, workers have used innovative methods to revitalize their rights in the workplace,” Landry said. “These efforts are essential to keeping the ideals Michael believed in alive, and I hope to be a part of this movement.”

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To be eligible for the Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies, individuals must be Graduate or Law Students enrolled in accredited educational institutions in the United States or Canada and must have a demonstrated interest and aspire to a career working in the labor movement and on behalf of workers’ rights.

To receive an award, eligible candidates must meet a combination of criteria including a superior academic record, a demonstrated commitment to the labor movement, a strong recommendation from an academic or a labor/worker’s rights practitioner, and an excellent display of written and oral communication skills.

Preference also is given to those who can demonstrate financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) scores or otherwise.

The scholarship application for the 2016 Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies will be posted in June 2015, at http://playerstrust.org/programs/michael-weiner-scholarship-labor-studies/

Click here to read about Michael Weiner Scholarship winner Akasha Perez.