About Us

Inspiring a Lifelong Commitment to Equal Justice and Public Service

Our Impact Through Our Fellows

At Equal Justice Works, we believe that a community of lawyers committed to public service can fulfill our nation’s promise of equal justice for all. Since 1986, we have been facilitating opportunities for law students and lawyers to engage in public service and bring lasting change to underserved communities across our country.

297

is the average number of clients served by one Equal Justice Works Fellow during their Fellowship.

85%

of Equal Justice Works Fellows remain in public service positions, continuing to pursue equal justice for underserved communities across the country.

2,500+

Equal Justice Works Fellowships have been awarded to lawyers committed to public service.

Addressing the Nation’s Most Critical Issues Affecting Equal Access to Justice

Each year, we mobilize over 300 Fellows across the country to address a wide range of unmet legal needs. Fellows work to ensure equal access to justice for underserved communities across the country.

Access to Courts
Affordable Housing / Microfinance
Aid to Disadvantaged Children and Youth
Children and Families
Civil Rights
Community Economic Development
Consumer Rights
Corporate and Government Accountability
Criminal Justice Reform
Disability Rights
Domestic Violence
Access to Education
Special Education
Elder Law
Disaster Relief
Environmental Justice
Farmworkers' and Migrant Workers' Rights
LGBTQ+ Rights
Healthcare
Human Rights
Immigration / Asylum
Immigrant Communities
Medical-Legal Partnerships
Native American Communities
Police Accountability
Poverty / Economic Opportunity
Prisoners' Rights
Public Benefits
Reproductive Health
Technology / Privacy
Human Trafficking
Veterans' Issues
Voting Rights / Electoral Participation
Women's Issues
Workers' Rights

Support Equal Justice Works

Your tax-deductible gift brings us closer to fulfilling our nation’s promise of equal justice for all.

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2020 Fellow Clarence Okoh on Artificial Intelligence and Racial Injustice

State and private actors routinely use AI and machine-learning technologies in ways that expand mass surveillance, lock in patterns of residential segregation, systematically deny access to bank loans and public benefits, and make it more likely for poor people of color to be arrested and jailed. Clarence Okoh, 2020 Fellow sponsored by the Text-to-Give Campaign, is working to defend low-income communities of color against exploitative technologies and to build community capacity to resist, challenge, and defeat automated injustice.

Equal Justice Works Fellows Challenge Racial Injustice

In a time when racial inequities are at the forefront of public consciousness, it is crucial for us to continue our mission to mobilize more lawyers who will challenge systemic injustice and help us build a better future for everyone. Emma Shakeshaft, Molly Griffard, and Mitchell Brown are just a few of the Equal Justice Works Fellows fighting against racial injustice.

Equal Justice Works Fellows Respond to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone, though its impact has not been equally felt. Right now, access to free and low-cost civil legal aid is more important than ever. Fellows Joseph Longley, Crystal Pardue, and Daniel Pham have shifted focus to address new and exacerbated civil legal needs amid the pandemic.

2018 Equal Justice Works Fellow Katrina Feldkamp

Hosted at Bronx Legal Services, 2018 Equal Justice Works Fellow Katrina Feldkamp protects the rights of Bronx students with childhood trauma and behavioral and emotional health challenges. Katrina is sponsored by The Arnold & Porter Foundation.

Lasting Impact: 1996 Equal Justice Works Fellow Michele Johnson

Michele Johnson, co-founder and executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, shares the lasting impact of her 1996 Equal Justice Works Fellowship helping families of children with special health care needs navigate the health care system.

2017 Equal Justice Works Fellow Alexis Piazza

Hosted at the ACLU of Southern California, 2017 Equal Justice Works Fellow Alexis Piazza draws on years of experience as a teacher to help homeless youth and children advocate for their educational rights so that they can learn, succeed academically, and reach their full potential. Alexis is cosponsored by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

Lasting Impact: OneJustice

Equal Justice Works Fellow alumni Mai Nguyen, Renée Schomp, and Julia R. Wilson share the lasting impact of their Fellowships at OneJustice, where they continue to bring life-changing legal services to rural and isolated communities throughout California.

2012 Equal Justice Works Fellow Cynthia Cornelius

According to the FBI, about 70 million Americans have a criminal record--that's one in three adults. Cynthia Cornelius, a 2012 Equal Justice Works Fellow, designed a Fellowship project to provide the legal services required to expunge the records of the adult community in Chicago. Having a criminal record can prevent an individual from obtaining an education, a job, and a house. Cynthia was hosted by Cabrini Green Legal Aid and sponsored by The Albert and Anne Mansfield Family Foundation.

2013 Equal Justice Works Fellow Krista Selnau

Through her medical-legal partnership with Arkansas Children's Hospital and Legal Aid of Arkansas, Krista Selnau provided legal advocacy and outreach to low-income disabled children and their families. Krista was sponsored by the generous donations of Walmart and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

2011 Equal Justice Works Fellow Susan Friedman

During her Fellowship sponsored by Greenberg Traurig at the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, Susan Friedman investigated and litigated cases where individuals were wrongfully convicted by the misuse of forensic science in Washington, D.C.