FACT SHEETS (Download as PDF)

• ABOUT EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS
• EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS/WEST
• EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOWSHIPS
• AMERICORPS LEGAL FELLOWS
• SUMMER CORPS
• KATRINA INITIATIVE
• LAW SCHOOL ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH
• CONFERENCE AND CAREER FAIR

ABOUT EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

In a democratic society sustained by the rule of law, access to legal representation is fundamental to ensuring the basic rights of all its members.  Equal Justice Works creates a more secure, just and equitable nation by ensuring a sustainable pipeline of talented lawyers entering public service and by fostering broad commitment to public interest law and pro bono services.

MISSION

The mission of Equal Justice Works is to create a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice. For more than 20 years, Equal Justice Works has collaborated with the nation’s leading law schools, law firms, corporate legal departments, bar foundations and nonprofit organizations to provide the training and opportunities that enable attorneys to provide effective representation to vulnerable populations.

• We help law schools establish and strengthen public interest programs.
• We provide public service work experience, professional development and training for students and lawyers.
• We build strong support in the legal profession for public service through pro bono work and financial support.

PROGRAMS

Lawyers can make a significant difference in the lives of individuals and communities that desperately need legal assistance to obtain justice. Equal Justice Works provides a
continuum of programs that begin with prospective law school students and extend later into careers in the profession.  

Public Interest Law Opportunities for New Lawyers
The Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program was created 17 years ago to address the shortage of attorneys working on behalf of underserved populations and causes. Today, the program supports more than 100 entrepreneurial public interest lawyers working in 20 states at 98 nonprofit organizations. The ongoing success of our fellowship program – the largest postgraduate legal fellowship program in the nation – is the result of many factors. Every year, hundreds of public interest-minded law students and recent graduates design two-year programs with nonprofits that have an intimate knowledge of the most critical needs of the community they serve. This innovative, community-based model for developing programs ensures they address the timeliest critical issues in our communities including foreclosures, homelessness, community economic development, immigration, civil rights, juvenile justice, employment rights, access to health care, consumer fraud and domestic violence.

Recognizing the value of volunteer service and the need for more legal resources among low-income communities, in 2003 Equal Justice Works created the AmeriCorps Legal Fellowships (formerly the Pro Bono Legal Corps). Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellowships improves access to justice by increasing the availability of pro bono legal services nationwide to low-income clients. It is one of the most productive and highly regarded national service programs.

Supported by an AmeriCorps grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the program is a postgraduate opportunity to address gaps in legal services through pro bono management and direct legal services. During 11-month fellowships, Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows recruit volunteer law students and lawyers and work to narrow the justice gap in health care, public benefits, affordable housing, lost wages, protection orders, education and other areas.  The program makes a lasting impact on the communities it serves by facilitating pro bono opportunities and expanding the legal resources in low-income and underserved communities.

Providing public interest opportunities to law students practically guarantees career-long commitments to public service. The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program engages law students around the country who are working to expand the delivery of legal services to those who need it most. Summer Corps is another AmeriCorps-funded program that, in 2008, provided over 330 law students with the opportunity to dedicate their summers to public service at qualifying nonprofit and public interest legal organizations.

Law School Advocacy & Outreach
The Equal Justice Works Guide is a free interactive online resource of public service opportunities, curricula and financial programs at more than 150 law schools in the United States.  The result of a unique collaboration between Equal Justice Works and participating schools, the guide (formerly known as The E-Guide to Public Service at America’s Law Schools) fills a void in existing commercial law school rankings. It compiles extensive data on the availability of clinical and externship programs, financial aid and loan repayment assistance programs, the number of staff members dedicated to public service programs, and other criteria essential to students who plan to pursue public service careers or who want to gain lawyering skills before they graduate. The resource allows users to look at individual school profiles or compare schools based on the criteria most relevant to them.

Each year Equal Justice Works hosts the legal profession’s largest national public service job fair at its Conference and Career Fair. The event typically attracts more than 1,000 law students and graduates, as well as more than 150 public interest employers—national nonprofit organizations, public defenders, legal aid offices and federal government agencies—seeking to fill internships and staff positions in public interest law.

Equal Justice Works has been a leading advocate for the creation and expansion of loan repayment assistance programs on law school campuses. In the past year, we took a leadership role in educating students and their advisors on the provisions of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. The new law has changed the landscape around loan repayment assistance programs and represents a major breakthrough in coping with student debt. The result will be an increase in the number of students who can make public service a viable career option. We have dramatically increased our outreach work in this area and last fall began an outreach campaign to increase awareness of the income-based repayment and public service loan forgiveness provisions of the bill among law students and their advisors as well as public interest lawyers who may benefit from the full implementation of the law in 2009. 

Contact: Sally Carlson , Communications Director, (202) 466-3686 ext. 102

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EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS/WEST

In March 2008, Equal Justice Works opened the first office outside of its Washington, D.C. headquarters in San Francisco, California. Equal Justice Works/West is part of the organization’s strategy to strengthen its existing programs and expand the reach of its efforts in California. Equal Justice Works named civil rights attorney and legal educator Diane Chin to lead this initiative.

EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS’ CONTRIBUTIONS IN CALIFORNIA 

Equal Justice Works was founded in 1986 and established the Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program in 1993. 

Since then, Equal Justice Works has placed over 220 lawyers (Equal Justice Works Fellows and AmeriCorps Legal Fellows) at nonprofit organizations in every region of the state to assist underserved communities, causes and individuals. Upon completing their fellowships, an estimated 80 percent of these attorneys remain in public service.

In 2009, Equal Justice Works is supporting 32 fellows working at 25 legal services agencies in 11 cities in California.  Our Fellows provide direct legal services, advocacy and other support to underserved individuals and communities.  Equal Justice Works/West will help to coordinate and expand services in California by:

• Supporting Equal Justice Works Fellows in California through training and coordination;
• Providing programming for alumni, sponsors, law schools and host organizations;
• Overseeing the fellowship selection process including interviews of fellowship candidates on the West Coast;
• Participating in the design and implementation of strategic reform initiatives, especially in substantive areas (e.g. juvenile justice, immigration and foreclosure response); and
• Assisting headquarters staff in developing strategies to increase the organization’s presence throughout the Western region and other parts of the country.

Last year, Equal Justice Works’ Summer Corps program for law students included 54 students working in California.  Equal Justice Works/West also works with 22 member law schools throughout the state to develop effective programs and curriculum that support the next generation of public interest attorneys.

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EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOWSHIPS

Equal Justice Works directs the largest postgraduate legal fellowship program in the nation, placing new lawyers in two-year assignments at nonprofit public interest organizations. The Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program creates partnerships with these host organizations, public interest lawyers, law firm/corporate sponsors and other donors in order to give underrepresented populations access to the justice system.

The Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program was launched in 1992 to address the shortage of attorneys working on behalf of underserved populations and causes in the United States. Equal Justice Works Fellows tackle such critical issues as domestic violence, homelessness, community economic development, immigration, civil rights, juvenile justice, employment rights, access to health care, and consumer fraud. Fellowship projects improve access to the judicial system for the most vulnerable among us: children, people with disabilities, senior citizens, people with HIV/AIDS, battered women and racial and ethnic minorities.

Recognizing that many obstacles prevent committed attorneys from practicing public interest law, including the scarcity of entry-level jobs and daunting student loan debts, Equal Justice Works created these two-year fellowships that offer a salary and loan repayment assistance, a national training and leadership development program, and other forms of professional development opportunities during the term of the fellowship. 

At any given time, the program supports an average of 100 Fellows working around the country. Through a rigorous selection process, a diverse group of Fellows is selected by the sponsors, which are most often law firms, corporations or foundations.

Upon completion of the program, the majority of Equal Justice Works Fellows continue successful careers in public interest law.

Contacts: Jennifer Tschirch , Senior Program Manager, (202) 466-3686 ext. 111, or Imoni Washington, Senior Program Manager, (202) 466-3686 ext. 110.

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AMERICORPS LEGAL FELLOWS

The Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps program is one of the most productive and highly regarded national service programs in the nation. This AmeriCorps program makes a lasting impact on the communities it serves by facilitating pro bono opportunities and expanding the legal resources in low-income and underserved communities.

Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps (founded in 2003 as the Pro Bono Legal Corps) works to improve access to justice by increasing the availability of pro bono legal services nationwide to low-income clients.  Supported by an AmeriCorps grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the program is a postgraduate opportunity to address gaps in legal services through pro bono management and direct legal services.  During their 11-month fellowships, each Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow recruits 100 volunteer law students and lawyers—and the amount of taxpayer dollars per client served is only $40. Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Fellows work to narrow the justice gap in many areas, including health care, public benefits, affordable housing, lost wages, protection orders and education.  For example:

Marisol Haro (Public Counsel) finalizes adoptions for children in the Los Angeles County foster care system.  Without a legal services or volunteer attorney, the average cost for one public agency adoption is more than $10,000.  Last year, Marisol and 161 volunteers worked on 521 adoption cases, finalizing 352 matters.

Joseph Hardgrave (Montana Legal Services Association) works on the Indian Wills Project. Joe travels across Montana to reservations to help low-income Native Americans maintain tribal lands through proper estate planning. Without his assistance, surviving family members could lose the rights to their tribal lands.

The primary responsibility of Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows is to create quality pro bono opportunities.  AmeriCorps Legal Fellows bring together volunteer law students and lawyers with community legal aid providers to expand their services and serve more clients.  AmeriCorps Legal Fellows also gain hands-on experience by providing direct legal services and by developing substantive legal resources.   

Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps projects are based at 20 legal service agencies around the country.  All projects require AmeriCorps Legal Fellows to collaborate with area law schools, student groups, community organizations and legal aid providers in the creation of pro bono opportunities.

During the 2007-2008 term of service, the 35 Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows:

• Represented 17,200 clients on pressing legal matters;
• Facilitated 737 legal clinics which served 10,783 people and provided important legal experience to hundreds of law students;
• Partnered with 400 organizations to build community infrastructure;
• Engaged 1,644 pro bono lawyers (both private firm and corporate counsel offices) in public interest work; and
• Recruited 2,321 law students to assist in providing legal services to low-income communities and make the connection between the law and public service.

Contact: Coleman McMahon, Senior Program Manager, (202) 466-3686 ext. 120

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SUMMER CORPS

The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program engages law students around the country who are working to expand the delivery of legal services to those who need it most.  Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2008 provided 350 law students with the opportunity to dedicate their summer to public service at qualifying nonprofit and public interest legal projects.

Summer Corps members provide critically needed legal assistance in low-income and underserved communities in the United States on a broad range of issue areas, including: health care, family law and juvenile justice, housing and mortgage foreclosure, immigration, and hurricane relief.

The Summer Corps experience is a valuable component of a quality legal education and provides law students with a wide variety of professional experiences. Summer Corps participants:

• Have access to Equal Justice Works’ network of alumni, experience and expertise as the nation’s largest provider of public interest opportunities for law students and attorneys;
• Gain first-hand experience and legal skills in areas such as client intake, representation and legal research and writing;
• Earn a $1,000 AmeriCorps education award voucher upon completion of 300 hours of service that can be used to pay current educational expenses or qualified student loans;
• Serve at least 300 hours at a nonprofit public interest organization of their choosing; and
• Become an official member of AmeriCorps, one of the largest national service networks in U.S. history.

In 2008, 333 Summer Corps members performed over 120,434 hours of service at 234 nonprofit public service organizations in 37 states and the District of Columbia. They directly assisted 18,395 individuals and families in need of legal services and represented more than 100 Equal Justice Works member law schools.

Contact: Martin Costello, Program Manager, (202) 466-3686 ext. 125.

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KATRINA INITIATIVE

Two years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast region Equal Justice Works Lawyers continue to provide essential legal services to thousands of people affected by the disasters. They work in some of the poorest communities in the nation and often under the most challenging conditions to advocate for those struggling to rebuild their lives and their communities.

With the assistance of a generous one million dollar matching grant from the JEHT Foundation, Equal Justice Works established the Katrina Initiative to provide direct legal services to Gulf Coast residents and generate pro bono opportunities for lawyers and law students. This program has placed lawyers and law students at nonprofit organizations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama to help the hundreds of thousands of people left without homes, jobs, access to health care and social services due to the damage from the 2005 hurricanes.

Now entering its final year, the Katrina Initiative has successfully met the challenge of providing emergency legal assistance and is now focusing on long-term goals. There is still much work to be done. The Initiative now focuses on building strong legal foundations to provide access to justice so that individuals can stabilize their lives, and eventually, communities in the Gulf Coast will thrive once again.

Katrina Legal Fellowships
Through the Katrina Initiative, Equal Justice Works established the Katrina Legal Fellowships Program to send nine experienced public interest lawyers to the Gulf Coast region for two years. Equal Justice Works Katrina Legal Fellowships provide immediate direct legal assistance for hurricane survivors; promote short- and long-term stabilization and community rebuilding efforts.

Our Katrina Legal Fellows impact lives. In the first year, the nine Katrina Legal Fellows and their volunteers assisted 7,425 hurricane survivors. The Katrina Legal Fellows also held 133 legal clinics, offered 153 presentations, recruited 780 law students and lawyers to provide pro bono legal assistance, and participated in 182 task forces or coalitions.

Through their fellowship projects, the Katrina Legal Fellows have greatly increased capacity at their host organizations to manage the unprecedented web of legal problems, bureaucratic red tape and financial disruption that resulted from the hurricanes.

Katrina Pro Bono Legal Corps
Equal Justice Works has expanded its Pro Bono Legal Corps, sending 10 Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Attorneys to the hardest-hit areas in the Gulf Coast region. Working in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, these members are implementing projects to recruit hundreds of law students and lawyers to provide essential disaster-related legal services to hurricane survivors.

The 10 Katrina AmeriCorps Attorneys and their volunteers impact lives. They have assisted 3,572 hurricane survivors in the first year. Katrina AmeriCorps Attorneys held 161 legal clinics, offered 47 presentations, recruited 770 law students and lawyers to provide pro bono legal assistance, and participated in 144 task forces or coalitions.

The Katrina Pro Bono Legal Corps has received national recognition. In July 2007 Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Attorney Crystal Utley was presented with the Spirit of Service Award from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Ms. Utley was selected from among 75,000 AmeriCorps members serving throughout the country for her service at the Mississippi Center for Justice in Jackson where she manages pro bono opportunities for lawyers and law students.

Katrina Summer Corps
In response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Equal Justice Works dedicated 65 Summer Corps positions for law students to form the Katrina Summer Corps in 2006. Katrina Summer Corps members dedicated their summer to assist hurricane survivors and evacuees in the Gulf coast region.

Katrina Summer Corps members impact lives. In 2006, the 65 Katrina Summer Corps members helped 2,991 hurricane survivors and worked with 175 organizations on community education presentations and outreach publications. Due to the overwhelming success of the Katrina Summer Corps, Equal Justice Works continues to encourage and support projects that focus on needs related to the Gulf coast disasters of 2005.

Contact: Cait Clarke, Director of Public Interest Law Opportunities, (202) 466-3686 ext. 132.

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LAW SCHOOL ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH

Law schools comprise a vital and dynamic constituency of Equal Justice Works.  As part of our mission to mobilize the next generation of lawyers committed to public service, we recognize that the message of public interest has to be inculcated early and encouraged throughout the law school experience.  We also realize that most of our law school partners need resources and assistance to augment their own in order to reach a broader spectrum of the law school community.

Membership
As of early 2009, 198 law schools across the country are members of Equal Justice Works.  We offer a variety of services to our member schools, and provide several membership benefits.  With our membership structure based on a tier system, many law schools are eligible for school visits by national staff, Fellows or alumni on topics such as launching a public interest career; opportunities in public interest law; issues relating to law school debt, etc.  Students and alumni from member schools are eligible to apply for Fellowships, Pro Bono Legal Corps and Summer Corps positions, all programs administered by Equal Justice Works. In addition, students and law school professionals are eligible for our annual Awards Program which recognizes the service and achievements of a law school dean, a law school  administrator or member of the faculty, and an individual student or student project.  The National Advisory Committee comprised of 10 students and 10 law school administrators, advises us on law school issues and trends that inform our programming. All member schools are invited to attend the annual Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair.

Conference and Career Fair
Equal Justice Works holds an annual Conference and Career Fair that attracts over 1,200 law students and lawyers committed to public service and public interest law.  The nation’s largest public interest law career fair, we host approximately150 employers providing over 1000 summer and post-graduate career options with leading nonprofit organizations, as well as select government agencies.  This event gives employers an opportunity to recruit some of the most talented law students in the country. 

At the conference, we provide programming that inspires law students and new lawyers to continue their activism and become leaders on their campuses and in their community.  The programs feature a mix of presentations, discussion groups and leadership meetings.  Conference forums have incubated several student initiatives, including some with nationwide appeal, such as the Student Hurricane Network.

The Equal Justice Works Guide to Law Schools
The Equal Justice Works Guide is a free interactive online resource of public service opportunities, curricula and financial programs at more than 150 law schools in the United States.

The result of a unique collaboration between Equal Justice Works and participating schools, the guide, formerly known as The E-Guide to Public Service at America’s Law Schools, fills a void in existing commercial law school rankings. It compiles extensive data on the availability of clinical and externship programs, financial aid and loan repayment assistance programs, the number of staff members dedicated to public service programs, and other criteria essential to students who plan to pursue public service careers or who want to gain lawyering skills before they graduate. The resource allows users to look at individual school profiles or compare schools based on the criteria most relevant to them.

The first edition of The E-Guide was launched in August 2006 and became a resource of choice for thousands of prospective law students, law school faculty and staff, and lawyers.  The 2009 guide builds on that success with more participating schools and improved search functionality. 

Law School Debt
Equal Justice Works has been in the forefront and a leading advocate for the creation and expansion of loan repayment assistance programs on law school campuses.  Partly as a result of our work over more than a decade, more than 100 schools now have some form of loan repayment assistance available to their students.  We provide consultations to law school administrators and students on issues pertaining to these programs.  We also partner with several national organizations working on these issues. Recently, we were a key partner active within the law school community that coordinated the successful passage of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, and have been providing technical assistance to a large number of law schools through in-person consultations, conference presentations, and the publication of information relating to the legislation’s current provisions.  

Contact: Chris Nugent, Director of Law School Advocacy and Outreach, (202) 466-3686 ext. 106.

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CONFERENCE AND CAREER FAIR

Each year Equal Justice Works hosts the legal profession’s largest national public service job fair at its Conference and Career Fair. The event typically attracts more than 1,200 law students and graduates, as well as more than 150 public interest employers—national nonprofit organizations, public defenders, legal aid offices and federal government agencies—seeking to fill internships, fellowships and staff positions in public interest law. 

The 2009 Conference and Career Fair is Saturday and Sunday, October 24 -25, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. The conference will feature several tracks for students and recent graduates focused on issues of professional development, careers in public interest law and leadership on law school campuses.

In 2008, our Career Fair attracted 157 employers offering over 2,000 full-time and part-time opportunities.  Attendance for the 2008 Conference and Career Fair was up 33 percent from the previous year’s event.  Over 5,000 students inquired about the event and more than 1,300 law students and graduates were in attendance to interview and participate in workshops on topics such as marriage equality, medical-legal partnerships, organizing and education rights.

More information on the event can be found on the Equal Justice Works website at www.equaljusticeworks.org/events/ccf.  Registration information, a schedule of events, a list of participating employers and other information on the 2009 Conference and Career Fair will be available in late spring.

Contact: Ericka Hines, Program Manager, Training and Evaluation, (202) 466-3686 ext. 134.

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