Partnership Opportunities and Benefits

The Equal Justice Works Fellowship program offers an opportunity for Fellowship sponsors, primarily law firms, to partner with nonprofi ts in their communities to address pressing social problems and to expand their role in making the legal system more accessible and effective for a larger number of Americans. Since the program started, more than 200 law fi rms, corporations, bar foundations and private foundations have supported Fellowships, with many repeatedly renewing their support and sponsoring multiple Fellowships at one time.

Law firms and corporate legal departments sponsor Equal Justice Works Fellowships because they recognize the importance of access to legal representation in a free society governed by the rule of law. Law fi rms and corporations also understand that sponsoring a Fellow strengthens the profession, provides excellent professional training
for new lawyers, creates opportunities to meet sponsors’ pro bono commitments, and connects the organizations to an extensive network of diverse and talented young professionals.

Fellowship sponsors consistently identify the many benefits of this partnership, including:

• Ongoing opportunities for Fellows to engage their sponsors in the most compelling and carefully vetted pro bono projects.
• Recognition of sponsors in both the legal profession and the broader community as true champions for justice.
• Involvement in the selection process to ensure that Fellows meet each firm’s criteria and priorities.
• Clear demonstration of sponsors’ culture of commitment to public interest law, as well as an enhanced ability to attract talented and community-spirited new associates.
• Access to the unparalleled national network of public service leaders that Equal Justice Works has developed to help fi rms and corporations maximize the reach of their pro bono programs.

Impact and Reach

The fall of 1993 marked the first class of Fellows – just seven individuals. Over the past decade, the program has grown dramatically, awarding more than 600 Fellowships since its inception.

Equal Justice Works Fellows have worked in 39 states and the District of Columbia. These lawyers have addressed a variety of substantive legal issues, including civil rights, employment discrimination, homelessness, environmental justice and workers’ rights. Equal Justice Works Fellows have a major impact on the communities where they serve through direct representation, policy advocacy and precedent-setting litigation.

These committed lawyers, a third of whom are people of color, have come from more than 120 law schools and worked for more than 325 organizations.

Fellowship projects give law school graduates – both Fellows and law firm associates – an immediate opportunity to prepare a deposition, represent a client in court, work on a transactional project, advocate for policy reform, or gain other valuable legal experience that will serve them well in their future law careers.
The opportunity to provide representation shortly after law school gives young lawyers invaluable experience. This also creates a positive impact on tens of millions of people whose lives are affected by the
successful legal work of Equal Justice Works Fellows.

Fellows have:

• Engaged in impact litigation that has benefi ted millions of people nationwide and generated more than $26.4 million in revenues and resources for their clients and communities.
• Advocated for policy reforms at the city, county, state and federal levels.
• Recruited more than 3,000 law students and over 2,000 attorneys to provide pro bono legal services to communities in need.
• Provided legal services to nearly 1,700 nonprofit organizations.
• Provided legal information, advice, referrals and direct representation to more than 75,000 adults, children and families.
• Approximately 75 percent of the projects initiated by Equal Justice Works Fellows have been sustained by the nonprofi t organizations in which they served as Fellows.

Become an advocate for justice today by investing in an Equal Justice Works Fellowship, please contact Marty Bond.