Helen Gym, Mayoral Candidate, former Philadelphia City Councilmember and Youth Advocate, Says Working with Firm Was a ‘Transformative Experience’

A candidate for mayor of Philadelphia and a former member of Philadelphia City Council, community organizer, and public school advocate, Helen Gym relies on Willig, Williams & Davidson to fight for families and educators.

“From the moment we first met Deb, you and the whole team really pulled together. It was one of the most transformative experiences of my entire life,” said Gym. “I think we won. I think we made a difference about what it means to stand up for children, to stand up for families and educators.

“We’ve held together for the 20 years since then,” she continued. “We’ve weathered incredible storms together. You were never just an incredible legal mind at the table, you were a deeply compassionate, thoughtful, strategic partner around how to build movements.”

Gym has been an advocate for public education and immigrant rights in Philadelphia for years. A former schoolteacher and journalist, she co-founded Parents United for Public Education, a parent-led citywide organization fighting for justice and equity in public schools. She also co-founded the Philadelphia Public School Notebook, an independent education newspaper focused on empowering community members with information they can use to advocate for their families. She currently leads a human rights agenda as chair of Philadelphia City Council’s Children and Youth Committee. She has worked alongside Willig, Williams & Davidson to end the state takeover of the School District of Philadelphia, restore access to nurses and counselors for every Philadelphia public school student, develop the nation’s first anti-retaliation law to protect workers seeking to uphold workplace health mandates, and protect workers under the nation’s most expansive Fair Workweek law.