New citizenship test eschews trivia, looks for 'meaningful grasp' of civics
By Caitlin Webber, Congressional Quarterly – September 30

Immigrants applying for naturalization will face a new version of the citizenship test beginning Wednesday amid disagreement among immigration advocates about what the changes will mean for those who take it. The test was redesigned for the first time since 1986 to encourage consistent administration and to assess if applicants have a "meaningful" grasp of U.S. civics concepts, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). "It covers more historical ground, presents new items about women and Native Americans, tests geography, and emphasizes core concept of American democracy such as self-government, First Amendment freedoms and the rule of law," MPI researchers [and Equal Justice Works Alumna] Laureen Laglagaron and Bhavna Devani write in "The Redesigned Citizenship Test: High Stakes, More Meaning."

Gay families find the Bronx is a place to call home
By Lisa Foderaro, New York Times – September 30

It is a statistic surprising even to those it describes: Same-sex couples in the Bronx are more likely to have children than those in any other New York City borough, according to a study released last month, and perhaps more than any county in the country. The Bronx, home to 11 percent of New York City's 26,000 same-sex couples — a fraction of the borough's 1.3 million people spread across 54 square miles — is hardly a gay mecca. ''The Bronx lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has largely been a hidden community for a very long time because of very real homophobia,'' said [Equal Justice Works Alumna] Lisa Winters, executive director of the Bronx Community Pride Center, the borough's only community building for gays and lesbians, which opened a decade ago. ''The Bronx is a very machismo borough, and it's a very religious borough. The religious institutions have a very strong foothold here, and they preach from the pulpit that homosexuality is a sin.

Giving immigrants a voice
By Scott Graham, The Recorder – September 29

For Monica Ramirez, understanding the challenges faced by Latino immigrants is easy. She is a child of Mexican immigrants. Today, as a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project, Ramirez, 28, represents Latino immigrants all over the country. She has defended day laborers in Arizona and Virginia, workers arrested in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown in Mississippi, and immigration detainees facing overcrowded conditions in San Diego. Ramirez originally was steered to the Immigrant Rights' Project by Diane Chin, formerly of Stanford and now West Coast director of nonprofit Equal Justice Works. Ramirez did a two-year fellowship with the project sponsored by Latham & Watkins, then was hired on last fall as a staff attorney. Subscription required.

UI law student recognized for commitment to public interest work
University of Iowa – September 25

This fall, Daniel Zeno's commitment to public interest law led to his appointment to the Equal Justice Works (EJW) National Advisory Committee, a group that provides advice and support to Equal Justice Works in its efforts to mobilize the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice. Zeno believes that implementing law and public policy is the best way to bring about social change, and has been actively involved in student organizations and policy advocacy at the law school.

New program paves way for public service jobs
By Melissa Attias, Roll Call – September 22

Signed by President Bush on Sept. 27, 2007, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act will allow more graduates to pursue careers in public service without worrying about debt. The act introduces an income-based repayment plan to lower monthly student loan payments and cancels any remaining debt after 10 years for those who work in public service. "This is the most significant of breakthroughs for public service in a generation," said Heather Jarvis, an expert on employment debt for Equal Justice Works, an organization that provides support for lawyers interested in pursuing public service. "We have many other smaller-scale loan repayment assistance options, but this is the first federal solution on such a grand scale."

Equal-rights gains have local roots
By Onell R. Soto, San Diego Union-Tribune – September 21

The Oyama family's battle to keep their farm is a little-noted, but important chapter in the history of equal rights in America. The Supreme Court decision, handed down 60 years ago, and the principles it espoused were cited by the high court when it overturned restrictive covenants that kept minorities from owning certain property, bans on fishing licenses for Japanese, and, in the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case, school segregation. "We should be proud that a San Diego family stood up and won these important rights for us all," said Alumnus Kevin Keenan, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego & Imperial Counties. The ACLU, whose chief Southern California lawyer argued the case on behalf of the Oyamas, is commemorating the anniversary of the decision this week.

A question of security: Navy's housing plan stirs community fears about civilians and munitions close by
By Maryann Spoto, Star-Ledger (NJ) – September 21

Row upon row of empty duplexes at a naval base in Monmouth County stand as a stark reminder of the 1980s defense buildup - a ghost town of desolate streets and idle playgrounds. In a bid to shed the unnecessary expense when the contract expires in two years, the Navy plans to exercise a provision in its lease agreement, effectively allowing the developer to rent the homes to the public while continuing to lease the land from the government through 2040. The proposal has been met with a firestorm of criticism in the wealthy neighboring towns, where officials and residents argue the plan opens them up to potential terrorist attacks and strains existing services. But [Equal Justice Works Alumnus] Adam Gordon, staff attorney for the nonprofit Fair Share Housing Center, said he believes more insidious forces are at work - concerns that relatively poorer people would move into the rental units. He said Colts Neck, where the average annual income hovers around $185,000, has long fought legal battles to shirk its affordable-housing obligations.

Akin Gump names New York litigator as new managing partner
By Brian Baxter, American Lawyer – September 16

In the past several months Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has dealt with a series of partner defections and reports of discontent among its disparate offices. Now the national firm is revamping its management structure, appointing Kim Koopersmith, a New York-based litigation partner [and Equal Justice Works board member], as its first managing partner, starting October 1. Koopersmith will be one of only a handful of female managing partners from Am Law 100 firms. Prior to joining Akin Gump 15 years ago, she worked at New York's Anderson Kill & Olick. The New York native had served McLean in an advisory role while a member of Akin Gump's nine-member executive committee.

Budget mess snags oil spill bills; If governor doesn't sign by Sept. 30, they die
By Kelly Zito, San Francisco Chronicle – September 13

The measures, crafted in a bipartisan effort in the wake of the 53,000-gallon Cosco Busan spill last fall, call for a range of actions including more teams for treating oiled birds, slashing permissible response times and funding for new cleanup technology. If they are not sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office by Sept. 30, they'll die on the vine. The governor has vowed to veto any bills that arrive on his desk before a state budget. If and when they do get to the governor's chambers, he has three choices: sign, veto or do nothing - which means they automatically become law. "We saw a complete and utter lack of ability to communicate with local officials and communities about how to respond," said [Equal Justice Works Alumnus] Sejal Choksi, program director at San Francisco Baykeeper, an environmental watchdog group. "We saw hundreds or thousands of people who wanted to volunteer, but they had no place to plug in."

Law firm's free work cited; Victims of fraud get help
By Anita Lee, Biloxi Sun-Herald – September 12

O'Melveny & Myers, a prestigious law firm recognized for its pro bono work, will be recognized tonight by the Mississippi Center for Justice for dedicating attorneys and resources to help Coast residents victimized by unscrupulous builders after Hurricane Katrina. Firm partner George Riley, who counts Apple among his clients, is heading the effort. Riley brought 10 other members of the international firm to the Coast in February to help residents who had been victimized. "For these folks to have any lawyer, much less premiere lawyers, to back them up and untangle their crises is an extraordinary thing," said Reilly Morse, [Equal Justice Works Alumnus] and senior attorney with the center's Katrina Recovery Office in Biloxi.

Judge limits searches using cellphone data
By Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post – September 12

The government must obtain a warrant based on probable cause of criminal activity before directing a wireless provider to turn over records that show where customers used their cellphones, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, in the first opinion by a federal district court on the issue. But Catherine Crump, a lawyer [and Equal Justice Works Alumna] with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the government's position on historical data was flawed. "People place a certain privacy value on their movements," she said. "Whether it's their movements yesterday or their movements today, it's the same.".

New relief for public sector jobs
By Peter Page, National Law Journal – September 8

Although recent government incentives have made public interest work a more feasible choice, many in the profession say that law schools have more to do in helping students to answer the call. A survey in 2005 by Equal Justice Works, an advocate for programs encouraging public service legal careers, found that only 18 of 100 law schools with LRAP programs were assisting 20 or more graduates in public service jobs. About half of the nation's law schools have no loan assistance program for graduates in public service and, aside from a few elite schools, the programs are "typically not very generous," said Heather Jarvis, manager of Equal Justice Works' law school advocacy program. Jarvis and many law students desiring public service careers are heartened by the recently enacted College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA), which caps monthly loan payments to a percentage of income for lawyers in public service and forgives loans entirely after 10 years in the public sector. .

Google's future and how it shapes ours
By Jessica Guynn, Los Angeles Times – September 8

As Google celebrates its 10th birthday, The Times talked with Internet experts about what the company should do over the next decade. “In the next decade, Google will continue to be the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of digital free speech and privacy. On the one hand, Google's innovative tools for finding and publishing online content have been and will continue to be a boon to the Internet's billions of users, fostering free speech and open access to information on an unprecedented scale,” said [Equal Justice Works Alumnus] Kevin Bankston.

Police probe cell phones to thwart criminals
By Tom Abate, San Francisco Chronicle – September 7

Deep in the bowels of San Francisco's Hall of Justice, Sgt. Wayne Hom plugs in a USB key to activate a new high-tech tool that has become the delight of cops, the bane of bad guys and a cloud over civil liberties - a device to extract contacts, text messages, pictures and videos from cell phones. Attorney [and Equal Justice Works Alumnus] Kevin Bankston with the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco said the ease-of-use and portability of forensic cell phone devices has started to chip away at the constitutional protections against searches without a warrant. It's a complex issue that boils down to what a police officer can do "incident to the arrest," meaning without a warrant.

2,000 protesters try to re-route final march after clash
By Alan Gomez, USA Today – September 5

The final protest march to the site of the Republican National Convention was canceled by police Thursday, prompting about 2,000 demonstrators to try alternate routes until they were dispersed with tear gas. Dozens were arrested. Even by the loftiest of estimates, the crowds protesting at the convention here this week have been tiny compared to the crowds at the 2004 convention in New York City. But by Thursday afternoon, the number of arrests had swelled to nearly 500. Protesters have complained all week that police have gone overboard in their attempts to quash potential violence and ensure the convention — being held at the Xcel Energy Center — proceeded without any interruptions. Catherine Crump, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union [and Equal Justice Works Alumna], said those numbers show that police have simply been rounding people up to get them off the streets quickly.

Co-Gen project funding cut off
Christian Giggenbach, The Register-Herald – September 4

A Western Greenbrier Co-Generation official is blaming the Bush administration for cutting federal funds and ending dreams of building a $416 million coal-fired electric plant. Environmental lawyer Derek Teaney, an Equal Justice Works Fellow for the Appalachian Center for the Environment in Lewisburg, said the plant's death will mean cleaner air for the Greenbrier Valley. Teaney represents Cleanbrier, which emerged as the leading environmental voice opposed to the project. "The goal was to protect the air quality of the Greenbrier Valley and stopping the plant does just that," Teaney said by phone Wednesday. "We are glad to see the DOE recognized the folly in pursuing the plant. What happened here is the market decided it wasn't interested in funding coal-fired power plants and it recognized that is not the way of the future."

Challenging laws to change lives
By Ursula Furi-Perry, National Jurist – September 2008

After working a year as a public defender, Steckley Lee was selected for the prestigious Equal Justice Works Fellowship, which places law graduates in funded public interest positions in which they work to serve the public in various legal areas. Lee currently works with sex offenders as an Equal Justice Works Fellow at Florida Institutional Legal Services, a nonprofit law office that provides free legal assistance to indigent people incarcerated in Florida. (See page 36)

The balancing act of affording law school
By Olivia Clark, Chicago Lawyer – September 2008

Many law students and newer associates say the cost of law school influenced where they chose to attend law school, and their law school debt after graduation impacted the type of positions they sought. "It's a difficult decision, but there are downsides to working at the big firms. The hours are more demanding, and sometimes the cases are not necessarily as interesting." Wilmes said programs like Skadden's and Equal Justice Works are extremely important because they help young lawyers get into public interest agencies. "Certainly I have friends that make a lot more money than me and sometimes part of me is a little envious," he said. "But I don't question it that much. It's not that bad. My wife works, and I'm making a decent salary. I really like the work I'm doing."