Equal Justice Works Alumni Advisory Council: A Midyear Review

By Annie Lee, director of policy at Chinese for Affirmative Action and chair of the Alumni Advisory Council.

Over the past six months, the Equal Justice Works Alumni Advisory Council (AAC) has been collaborating closely with Lynbea Toombs, director of alumni relations to establish goals and corresponding activities that level up to the organization’s strategic plan and vision for its Alumni Engagement Program.

To date, we’ve identified the following goals:

• Create a charter and establish internal processes for a strong foundation for the AAC
• Plan and execute quarterly alumni programming
• Assist in the development of an alumni award
• Utilize social media to promote Equal Justice Works and AAC events and initiatives
• Advise on plans for alumni involvement in Fellowships program recruitment campaign such as the Design-Your-Own Fellowship Program Announcement Day

We’ve established three committees to help us accomplish this work:

• The Governance Committee, which is responsible for developing the AAC’s guiding documents.
• The Outreach Committee, which assists the director of alumni relations in identifying alumni volunteers and raising awareness about the Alumni Engagement Program and getting our network of past, present, and potential Equal Justice Works Fellows active in the alumni community.
• The Programming Committee, which empowers and unites Equal Justice Works Alumni through substantive programming and networking events.

At the 2021-22 AAC’s last quarterly meeting, we voted to accept a charter that will govern the AAC moving forward. Additionally, we celebrated 2021-22 successes, including the impact of AAC consultation on a variety of alumni engagement opportunities, such as the Design-Your-Own Fellowship Program Announcement Day and alumni giving, as well as hosting two events for alumni. In February, we held a government attorneys and academia insights panel, where Equal Justice Works Alumni spoke about their diverse experiences working as government attorneys and shared tips on how public interest lawyers in the nonprofit sector can make the transition into government or academic roles. At the session, participants had the opportunity to network with the panelists and each-other in small groups.

As 2022’s fiscal year winds down, the AAC plans to advise on an alumni programming survey and will hold one final alumni event on mental health. Additionally, we will continue to develop regional alumni events to encourage networking and outreach.

In the 2023 fiscal year, the AAC plans to welcome five new members who represent the diversity of the Equal Justice Works Alumni community. Some of the targeted goals for the new fiscal year will include continued programming for alumni and advising on issues such as effective alumni engagement at Leadership Development Training, as well as the launch of an Alumni Speakers’ Bureau.

We are grateful to our current Council members for their hard work and dedication to the Alumni Advisory Council! The inaugural AAC has laid a strong foundation and set a high bar for what we can accomplish when we work together on behalf of Equal Justice Works Alumni. We’re proud of what we have accomplished over the last year and look forward to what’s to come!

Applications for the five open positions on the 2022-2025 Alumni Advisory Council are being accepted through July 11, click here to apply. For more information about the Alumni Advisory Council, please visit here.