I aim to empower Arab, Iranian and other communities of color to challenge racial profiling and domestic surveillance practices, particularly those government actions arising post-9/11.  This project uses a multi-faceted strategy that incorporates impact litigation, community education and coalition building in order to enhance the short-term and long-term capacity of the Impact Fund, other legal organizations and communities to challenge post-9/11 profiling.  .  

While working at ACLU of Mississippi (ACLU-MS) in the summer of 2000, Sandra Farrell became familiar with custody issues involving lesbian mothers and gay fathers.  Aware that these and other legal needs of the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgendered (LBGT) community were likely going unmet in a state hostile to LBGT rights, she developed her fellowship project.  Sandra’s project sought to establish an infrastructure in the state of Mississippi that would address LBGT issues, particularly in the area of family law.  

Partnering with the Community Economic Development Unit of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), Julie Farrell works to curb the severe affordable housing crisis in Los Angeles.  The convergence of skyrocketing housing costs and rents, an exhausted supply of vacant land, an alarming rate of demolition and conversion of existing affordable housing and a working poor population that is growing in numbers but not in wealth has generated this crisis.  LAFLA has a long history of providing legal services to community-based organizations and nonprofit housing developers in L.  

In her fellowship at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, Antonia Fasanelli addresses the needs of low-income families in Washington, DC, who are impacted by new changes in federal housing law.  According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the District is already the second worst state for affordable housing.  A new law allows the landlords of families in Section 8 housing to refuse to renew, or to "opt-out," of their contracts.  

My goal is to increase affordable housing for low-income workers and their families in the Bay Area.  California has enacted climate-change laws mandating decreased carbon emissions and higher density land-use.  These laws present both a danger that low-income voices will be excluded from the table and a distinct opportunity to promote housing equity.  

Michelle Fei works with the Center for the Practice & Study of Community Problem Solving at New York University Law School.  Founded by Professor Gerald P.  López, the Center aims to improve the quality of problem solving available to low-income, of color and immigrant communities, enhancing the capacity of those who live and work in these communities to satisfy basic needs, shape healthy relationships and realize lofty aspirations.  

The goals of my project are to develop the bankruptcy practice at the Public Law Center and to aid our low-income clients with their bankruptcy filing, including whether or not they need to file; to develop a foreclosure prevention and advice practice at the Public Law Center that will assist clients with any aspect of their foreclosure; and to encourage local law students and attorneys to become involved in public interest work in any form.  

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Lía Fiol-Matta works with Community Legal Resource Network (CLRN), an organization designed to support and mentor attorneys in small and solo firm practices who are committed to serving communities that lack meaningful access to justice.  CLRN’s model of community-based lawyering distinguishes itself from more conventional lawyering in that it seeks to empower the communities being served and implements lasting changes that lead to social justice.  Lía’s work at CLRN revolves around identifying the unmet legal needs affecting New York City’s various underserved communities, particularly immigrant populations.  

Ensuring a safe, affordable water supply is a major challenge in rural California, particularly in the intensively-farmed Central Valley.  Studies indicate that over 4 million California residents do not have drinkable tap water, and an estimated 90% of residents in rural counties rely on contaminated groundwater supplies.  In an effort to address these problems, Laurel Firestone has initiated the Rural Poverty Water Project at The Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment (CRPE) in Delano, CA.  

I will work with the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem to develop a "Youth Law Team" focusing on the representation of children that are accused of crimes and prosecuted as juveniles in Family Court and as adults in Criminal and Supreme Courts.  In addition to this direct representation, I will study the differing treatment of children and young adults in juvenile and adult forums and use those experiences to produce proposals for reform of New York's juvenile justice system.  .  

Fernando works at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) and helps low-wage workers obtain greater access to the legal system.  Fernando recruits law students from the Los Angeles area to help present “Know Your Rights” community education workshops.  As part of LAFLA’s Employment Unit, Fernando also staffs weekly worker’s rights clinics and helps run the Self-Help Legal Clinic at the Labor Commissioner’s Office, which assists workers by explaining the agency’s process, filling out initial claim forms and calculating wages owed and penalties.  

Each year the U.  S.  detains unaccompanied immigrant children who have to navigate a complex immigration system without the benefit of counsel.  

Maureen Foley works with the Community Legal Aid in Northeast Ohio.  Community Legal Aid provides free legal assistance in civil cases to low-income and elderly residents in Akron, Ohio and the eight surrounding counties.  Maureen's project concentrates on Summit Lake, a small, low-income neighborhood south of Akron.  

Chorisia (Chori) Folkman works with TeamChild, which provides representation and advocacy to youth in Washington State.  TeamChild addresses the underlying causes of juvenile delinquency by advocating for children's rights to education, mental and medical health services, safe living situations and other community supports.  Team Child's innovative advocacy model has been found to reduce recidivism and enhance access to community based services.  

Kathleen (Katie) Ford works on the Educational Opportunity Project at Sacramento Child Advocates, Inc.  in California.  She works in collaboration with social workers, educators and foster parents to ensure effective implementation of legislation intended to protect children’s educational rights.  

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Domestic violence survivors often must contend with fragmented services, making it difficult to access the critical help they need to escape violence and poverty.  This project specifically partners with the Alameda County Family Justice Center (FJC), an innovative one-stop center where survivors can access services such as criminal justice, medical care and counseling.  This project brings integrated legal services to the FJC, helping survivors become independent through assistance with family law, public benefits and housing matters.  

Though Texas courts require language interpreters in criminal cases, the needs of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) individuals in civil proceedings go unmet.  Often, LEP victims of domestic violence are given little information about legal proceedings in which they are participants, even when child custody, divorce, or family safety is at stake.  My project will educate judges and county policy makers about improving interpretation services and develop litigation with victims of domestic violence in counties that are less amenable to change.  

Molly is working at the Public Interest Clearinghouse (PIC).  She coordinates the Pro Bono Project in PIC's Public Interest Law Program.  The Pro Bono Project matches students with short-term and long-term volunteer projects at legal services organizations, government agencies, court-based programs, social service providers and with private attorneys working on pro bono cases.  

The goal of my Equal Justice Works project is to provide legal services to immigrants detained in North Texas.  Many of these people have relief available to them, but most forgo even applying for relief due to the lack of representation currently available.  My project will alleviate this problem by educating detained immigrants and families regarding their rights, providing legal representation for detained immigrants, and providing training and support to pro bono attorneys willing to represent detained immigrants.  

This project aims to illuminate and remove obstacles to health care for people with disabilities by partnering with community-based organizations, providers and disability rights groups throughout New York City.  I will provide legal support to individuals through trainings, direct representation, litigation and policy reform.   .  

Kelly works at the Public Interest Clearinghouse (PIC).  She coordinates the Pro Bono Project for PIC's Public Interest Law Program at the University of San Francisco School of Law.  Through the Pro Bono Project, Kelly works directly with law students to match them with short- and long-term volunteer projects at legal services organizations, government agencies, court-based programs, social service providers and with private attorneys working on pro bono cases.  

More than 5000 unaccompanied minors arrive in the United States annually and are placed in detention by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.  Many of these children have fled human rights abuses in their home country.  Alone and often traumatized, these children are incredibly vulnerable and need representation, but are not entitled to a federally funded attorney.  

Melissa Frydman worked with the local juvenile public defender's office to provide direct civil legal services to youth who had been arrested or detained.  Her goal was to help to keep them from future interactions with the juvenile justice system.  "Public defenders see clients who repeatedly revolve in and out of the delinquency system, but they lack the time, resources, or ability to provide legal services beyond criminal matters," Melissa stated.  

Legal Services Alabama (LSA), an independent, statewide nonprofit organization, provides free civil legal assistance to low-income and elderly Alabamians as well as to survivors of Hurricane Katrina.  As Alabama's host site for the Katrina Pro Bono Legal Corps, LSA provides Hilary Funk with the opportunity to expand pro bono practice and law student volunteerism within communities that were affected by Hurricane Katrina or in need of disaster preparedness assistance and guidance.  With her colleague, Stephanie Blackburn, Hilary is actively pursuing ways to expand advocacy to reach a larger population and to practice what she calls "preventative law.  

"The goal of the medical-legal partnership is to facilitate legal triage and access for hundreds of vulnerable families whose health or medical conditions are threatened by their overwhelming legal needs.  Katrina dramatically changed the lives of New Orleans citizens.  Three years later, people are dealing with a combination of environmental issues and stresses that complicate the overwhelmed health care system's attempts to address the patients' health care needs.  

While attending law school, Mitzy Sharp Futro had no doubt as to what she wanted to do with her law degree.  “Working and attending school in the South Central Los Angeles area, I saw the real benefits that strong community-based nonprofits offer their neighborhoods,” the 1999 graduate explained.  “Community economic development (CED) work seemed the most effective way for me to help these organizations pursue their missions.