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

2008-2009 Impact

During the 2008-2009 term of service, the 36 Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows:

• Represented 26,019 clients on pressing legal matters;
• Facilitated 1,030 legal clinics which served 10,572 people and provided important legal experience to hundreds of law students;
• Partnered with 590 organizations to build community infrastructure;
• Engaged 927 pro bono lawyers (both private firm and corporate counsel offices) in public interest work; and
• Recruited 2,193 law students to assist in providing legal services to low-income communities and make the connection between the law and public service

Recovery Act

This past May, the Corporation for National & Community Service announced that Equal Justice Works would receive a $1.2 million Recovery Act grant to support an additional 30 AmeriCorps Legal Fellows and more than 300 Summer Corps law students to expand legal services to victims of the economic crisis, such as those affected by mortgage foreclosures, natural disasters and other critical need areas.

• Click to learn more about our AmeriCorps Recovery Program   

Katrina Initiative

The Katrina and AmeriCorps Legal Fellowships provided funding for public interest legal organizations in the Gulf Coast region to serve as host sites for both local and out-of-state attorneys after the hurricane.

• Click to learn more about our Katrina Initiative