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. Throughout the summer, members serve 300 hours at a nonprofit public interest organization of their choice and earn a $1,000 AmeriCorps education award voucher.

2006 Summer Corps Accomplishments

• 2006 Summer Corps members:
• Directly assisted 17,636 individuals and families in need of legal services
• Performed a total of 106,742 service hours
• Served 216 nonprofit organizations in 40 states and the District of Columbia
• Represented more than 100 Equal Justice Works Member Law Schools

In addition to meeting the needs of underserved communities, Summer Corps members gain important skills and experience throughout the course of their service.

"My work with the Children's Law Center of Minnesota helped me to understand the day-to-day work that goes into client representations. I am now able to see how all of the memos, motions, petitions and interviews flow together to make one cohesive court case. I have dramatically improved my legal writing skills, my client interview skills and my ability to speak up for my clients in hearings."
- Christine Steffen, Children's Law Center of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn.

"I was able to see pleadings, objections, motions, exceptions first-hand—something I had not had the opportunity to see in law school. I was able to play a part in several cases. It was quite fulfilling to realize that we were helping these people obtain benefits that, without our help, they would be unable to receive."
- Laura Davenport, Acadiana Legal Services, Lafayette, La.

What Summer Corps Members Say About Summer Corps

Of the 2006 Summer Corps members who were surveyed, 98.97 percent said they would recommend the Summer Corps program to other law students.

"Summer Corps is a great program that I was proud to be a part of."
- Erika Dahlstrom, Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse, San Mateo, Calif."

I would strongly recommend Summer Corps, in part because the program provides good legal experience and a chance for students to meet actual practitioners in public interest law and other students who share the same interest in this practice area. Also, Equal Justice Works provides a wealth of information for law students about careers in public interest law, loan forgiveness and other sources of funding and job opportunities."
- Leonor Prieto, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, Hammond, La.

"The program has the unique advantage of both providing law students with practical skills and also sparking an interest in continued public service."
- Jonathan Foley, Iowa Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Des Moines, Iowa

"I would recommend Summer Corps. It felt great being part of a movement that encouraged law students to work within their community and serve a population that normally does not have as good access to the law."
- Renuka George, Summer Corps member at Stanford Community Law Clinic, East Palo Alto, Calif.