Sex-change law questions arise after Bend man says he's pregnant
By Don Colburn, The Oregonian – March 27

Thousands of Oregonians a year change their names. But the case of a Bend resident who says he is legally male and five months pregnant has highlighted the much smaller numbers who legally change their sex. That option exists in Oregon, as in most states, for transsexuals who switch genders. "Oregon's law is very typical," said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco [and former Equal Justice Works Fellow]. No one knows how many people legally change their sex, said Minter, the legal director for lesbian rights. "It's a very small population."

Day-labor measure disputed
By Lindsey Collom and Beth Duckett, The Arizona Republic – March 26

Day-labor supporters filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday in Phoenix challenging an anti-solicitation ordinance they say restricts the First Amendment rights of immigrants, both documented and otherwise. "The town does not have the right to pick and choose who has free-speech rights," said Monica Ramirez, an ACLU attorney [and 2005 Equal Justice Works Fellow].

Farmworkers reach settlement in lawsuit against watermelon grower
By Cynthia Martinez, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid – March 26

Twenty-two Texas farm workers have reached a settlement with three Rio Grande Valley companies over a lawsuit regarding the importation of more than 400 foreign guest workers into the United States between 2001 and 2007. “The law guarantees that U.S. workers have certain protections over foreign labor. The Department of Labor looked the other way in this situation and the federal government, of all entities, should be looking out for U.S. workers the most,” added TRLA attorney and Equal Justice Works Fellow Jake Wedemeyer.

Hearing on housing credits postponed
By Zach Patberg, The Asbury Park Press (NJ) – March 20

For the second time, a judge has postponed a hearing over the transfer of affordable housing funds from Toms River to Lakewood. The intention was to give the public more time to consider the issue while being mindful of Lakewood's need for a decision on the transfer before it can start placing low-income families in the 72 units, which are mostly finished. "The time (extension) is still not adequate," said Adam Gordon, an attorney with the Fair Share Housing Center [and Equal Justice Works Fellow].

Debt salvation
By Michelle Weyenberg, The National Jurist – March 2008

More than 115 law schools now offer loan repayment programs for students who serve in public interest or non-profit positions, according to Equal Justice Works…We spoke with Heather Jarvis, senior program manager of law school advocacy for Equal Justice Works, to answer some of the most common questions about this new program (see pages 25-28).

Three day laborers sue over Arizona town's law on soliciting work
By Jacques Billeaud, The Associated Press – March 25

Three day laborers filed a lawsuit Tuesday that seeks to overturn a suburb's law prohibiting people standing on public streets from soliciting employment from occupants of cars. The federal lawsuit alleges Cave Creek's law passed is unconstitutional because it restricts the free speech rights of people trying to find work as day laborers. "Cave Creek does not have the right to pick and choose who has free speech rights," said Monica Ramirez, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union [and 2005 Equal Justice Works Fellow], one of the group's representing the day laborers. "The town cannot bar people from peaceably standing in public areas and expressing their availability to work."

Law schools take a pass on Harvard's third-year tuition forgiveness plan
By Peter Page, The National Law Journal (law.com) – March 24

David Stern, chief executive officer of Equal Justice Works, a nonprofit in Washington focused on strategies for making public service an appealing option for new attorneys, said initiatives like Harvard's combined with the recently enacted College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which caps monthly student loan payments to a percentage of income, are making student debt burdens manageable for attorneys who do not chose private practice.

DHS, engineers reveal details of border fence
By Kevin Sieff, The Brownsville Herald – March 21

Two lawsuits against Cameron County landowners marked a clear change in the federal government's handling of border fence-related litigation on Wednesday. "It's still unclear if they will attempt to negotiate again before filing permanent condemnation lawsuits," Corinna Spencer-Scheurich, Garcia's attorney [and 2007 Equal Justice Works Fellow], said. The permanent condemnation suits will include the federal government's purchase of private land and the transfer of property deeds.

Best practices: Profile of business law professor Michele Benedetto
By Jill Goetz, Golden Gate Lawyer – Fall/Winter 2007

After completing her clerkship, Michele Benedetto obtained a prestigious Equal Justice Works Fellowship in 2002. She used it to create the Youth Outreach Project of the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, a first-of-a-kind project serving young people transitioning from the foster care system. As the project’s founder and pro bono coordinator, she spent two years providing direct civil legal services to youth emancipating out of foster care in San Diego County. The project served more than 125 youth, most of whom had no other access to legal services (see page 11).

A calling to help others: Recent grad and law student win prestigious public service award
By Ursula Furi-Perry, The National Jurist – March 2008

The 2007 Equal Justice Works LexisNexis/Martindale-Hubbell Exemplary Public Service Award was presented to Gavan Meehan and Reena Arora. The annual award recognizes law students who have made exceptional contributions to the law school community. It is presented by Equal Justice Works, a national organization dedicated to training future leaders for public interest law positions (see page 18).

Municipalities worried by changes to affordable-housing rules
By Lalita Aloor Amuthan, Courier News (NJ) – March 17

A proposal to increase the number of affordable-housing units municipalities must build has drawn the ire of officials in area towns who are worried about the impact on municipal planning and services. But affordable-housing advocates have endorsed the change, citing the increasing need for housing. Adam Gordon, staff attorney for nonprofit organization Fair Share Housing Center [and Equal Justice Works Fellow], said the demand for affordable housing far exceeds the supply. "When we talk about affordable housing, we are not talking about people on welfare, but normal, working people who can't afford homes on their incomes. That number is increasing, and it includes regular folks like teachers and firefighters," Gordon said.

Co-gen official extends hand to environmentalists
By Christian Giggenbach, Register-Herald – March 13

More problems may be on the horizon for the financially strapped Western Greenbrier Co-Generation plant as officials met with citizens for the second time in as many weeks Thursday to announce what they termed a pending agreement with an environmental group that has opposed the coal waste-powered electrical plant. However, an environmental lawyer with Cleanbrier, the leading voice against the plant, said late Thursday he felt an agreement was not “imminent.” Environmental lawyer Derek Teaney, an Equal Justice Works Fellow for the Appalachian Center for the Environment in Lewisburg, said the two parties have not yet reached an agreement.

Same-sex marriage arguments split court; Justices ask probing questions during S.F. hearing on state law
By Bob Egelko, The San Francisco Chronicle – March 5

The divisive issue of same-sex marriage appeared to split the California Supreme Court down the middle Tuesday as the justices agonized over questions of tradition, discrimination and democratic government during a 3 1/2-hour hearing.

It has been almost four years since the court annulled the weddings at San Francisco City Hall of nearly 4,000 same-sex couples without deciding the constitutionality of the state law that prevented them from legally marrying. "Same-sex couples have come here today to praise marriage, not to bury it. ... (They) yearn for the privacy and respect that only marriage can bring them," said Attorney Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights [and former Equal Justice Works Fellow] representing 15 same-sex couples.

New director for West Coast Equal Justice Works
By Amanda Bronstad, National Law Journal – March 4

Diane Chin, the associate director of the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, has been named the director of the West Coast office of Equal Justice Works.

Driving while immigrant
By Anjali Waikar, Mass Rights Blog – March 4

Immigrant communities are being targeted by the police. They asked me to speak about their rights and about what they can do as a community to address these issues. Most of the audience members were men who had fled their indigenous communities in Ecuador to work as roofers and construction workers in Massachusetts in order to support their families. Written by ACLU Attorney and Equal Justice Works Fellow.

Take action to expand law school loan repayment assistance programs
By Heather Wells Jarvis, Management Information Exchange – Winter 2007

Law school loan repayment assistance programs (LRAP) are an essential piece of the debt relief puzzle and LRAPs play an important role in the life of a public interest lawyer. Working together, legal services providers and law schools can expand and improve law school LRAPs so that the programs better serve the needs of public interest lawyers and the organizations that employ them. Take steps now to create a law school LRAP or make an LRAP better. Start by honing your understanding of the weight of the debt burden, learn a little more about how law school LRAPs work, then roll up your sleeves and pitch in to start or improve an LRAP at a law school near you!
Written by Equal Justice Works Senior Program Manager for Law School Advocacy.

Family ties put to the test
By John Simerman, Mercury News (Silicon Valley) – March 2

A hearing in the California Supreme Court is set for Tuesday on whether a ban on same-sex marriage violates the state Constitution. "Distressing" is how Shannon Minter [former Equal Justice Works Fellow], who represents the same-sex couples in the case, describes the governor's take. "It's a misguided attempt to justify denying marriage to gay people," said Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "No amount of adding additional rights can ever make a domestic partnership equal to marriage. It's about how we value family. It is the way in our culture that we express the deepest level of commitment to another person."

Court drama nears peak on gay-marriage issues
By Howard Mintz, The Daily News (Los Angeles) – March 1

It has taken four years, but the fierce conflict over gay marriage has finally shifted from its cradle at San Francisco City Hall to the California Supreme Court, just a few hundred yards away. The state's high court on Tuesday will hear three hours of legal arguments in a series of cases that challenge California's ban on gay marriage and a 2000 voter-approved ballot initiative that defines marriage as a union between a man and woman. "I can't overstate the importance of California," said Shannon Minter legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights [and former Equal Justice Works Fellow]. "It will have a monumental impact for decades to come."