Cy Pres
Because of the breadth of public interest legal work we are involved in, Equal Justice Works is an ideal recipient of cy pres funds. Our programs provide legal services to hundreds of people in underserved communities nationwide.
Printer-friendly versionWhat is Cy Pres?Deriving from a French term meaning "as near as", the cy pres doctrine can be used in class action settlements where it may not be possible to distribute residual damages to individual class members. In cases where there are unallocated, unclaimed or undeliverable funds, courts must decide on appropriate recipients. Courts can distribute funds to charitable nonprofit organizations whose work indirectly benefits the plaintiffs by advancing the statutes that formed the basis for the underlying litigation.
Why Equal Justice Works?The Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program provides financial and technical support to lawyers working on innovative and impactful legal projects on behalf of traditionally underserved populations and causes. In fact, our postgraduate fellowship program was launched in 1992 in large part thanks to two cy pres awards totaling $3.1 million, one by Judge Ann Claire Williams in the In Re: Folding Carton Antitrust Litigation, and another by Judge Charles Stewart in the Ocean Shipping Antitrust Litigation. Since these early awards, our programs have placed over 1,100 lawyers who have worked in communities across the country to deliver much needed legal services to those who otherwise would not have access to justice. Our Fellows work on a range of issues, including:
How can you support Equal Justice Works through cy pres?While it is ultimately up to the courts to determine whether the cy pres award is fair and reasonable and if the recipient is appropriate for the award, plaintiff and defense attorneys can each play an important role by recommending cy pres awards to Equal Justice Works to the court. Click here to view list of cy pres supporters.
Please consider recommending Equal Justice Works for a cy pres award. To learn more, contact Steven Rice, Development Specialist, at 202-466-3686 ext. 130. | Special thanks to these individuals who are helping Equal Justice Works expand its cy pres initiative:
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