Meet the Fellows in the Opioid Crisis Response Program

Equal Justice Works is proud to announce the 2025 cohort of Fellows in the Opioid Crisis Response Program: Maegan Pirtle, Courtney Brothers, Carrie Stambaugh, Lauren Williams, Julia Cummings and Justin Apperson. 

The federal government has declared the opioid crisis a nationwide public health emergency. Responding to this emergency requires a multidisciplinary approach, with lawyers playing a critical role in raising awareness, building community partnerships, and responding to subsequent legal issues that the opioid crisis acted as a catalyst for. The six Fellows in the inaugural class of the Opioid Crisis Response Program will provide free legal representation to low-income individuals and families affected by the opioid and overdose crisis.  

“We are thrilled to welcome the first cohort of Fellows to the Opioid Crisis Response Program,” said Touri Goode, the program manager of fellowship implementation at Equal Justice Works. “Communities across the country need lawyers as a part of our nationwide response to the opioid epidemic, and these Fellows will provide invaluable support in their advocacy and bandwidth-expanding efforts to save lives.”

Meet the six new Fellows in the Opioid Crisis Response Program below: 

Maegan Pirtle 

Hosted by the Legal Aid Society of Louisville, Maegan will help opioid-impacted individuals address legal barriers to their treatment and long-term recovery. She will provide legal clinics, create medical-legal partnerships, and conduct outreach with community partner organizations. Maegan aims to provide assistance with common legal issues, including custody, divorce, housing, eviction, government benefits, and criminal record expungement. 

Courtney Brothers and Carrie Stambaugh 

Co-Fellows Courtney Brothers and Carrie Stambaugh will work together at Legal Aid of the Bluegrass to initiate a medical-legal partnership. They aim to resolve clients’ civil legal issues arising from the opioid epidemic across Kentucky. By providing legal and educational resources and assistance for opioid affected individuals, families, and communities at large; Courtney and Carrie will seek to support recovery, ensure family stability, and prevent relapse. 

Lauren Williams 

Lauren’s project with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio will help bridge gaps in communities by developing a direct referral system for people affected by Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) throughout the state. Lauren will aid communities by providing direct legal services and building partnerships with medical, harm reduction, judicial, and community organizations to reduce opioid fatalities. 

Julia Cummings 

Julia will work at Bronx Legal Services to provide direct legal services, advance policy reform, and develop a needs assessment for OUD-affected patients. Julia will work with the Public Benefits Unit at the organization, which aims to retain and improve critical public benefits for clients.  

Justin Apperson 

At AppalReD Legal Aid, Justin will build a medical legal partnership through Project Renew with OUD treatment providers in Eastern Kentucky, helping clients overcome significant legal barriers to recovery and workforce reentry. Having spent Summer 2024 with AppalReD as an Equal Justice Works Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellow, Justin felt inspired to bring his experiences of helping people create happier and healthier lives back to his home state. 

The CDC states that “Increasing communities’ overdose prevention and response support, capacity, and education may help save lives.” Together, Fellows in the Opioid Crisis Response Program will build a network of legal expertise to help inform policies that holistically address issues faced by communities impacted by the crisis and help opioid-impacted communities heal. 

The Opioid Crisis Response Program is funded by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE). Click here to learn more about the current Fellows in the Opioid Crisis Response Program. Click here to view FORE’s resources on overdose prevention. 

About Equal Justice Works 

Equal Justice Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service. As the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, Equal Justice Works brings together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, nonprofit legal aid organizations, and supporters to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice. 

In response to President Trump’s signing of an Executive Order affecting Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Verna Williams, CEO of Equal Justice Works issued the following statement: 

“The recent executive order affecting the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program is deeply concerning and unnecessarily complicates a program that has been working effectively for public servants since it was signed into law by former President George W. Bush nearly 20 years ago. 

PSLF has been crucial in supporting teachers, nurses, firefighters, public attorneys, and countless other working class Americans who dedicate their careers to serving our communities. This order risks dissuading talented individuals from pursuing vital public service roles – leaving critical needs unmet across the country, particularly in low-income and rural communities.

We believe PSLF should remain accessible to everyone who commits to public service, regardless of their organization. Equal Justice Works remains committed to protecting and strengthening policies that encourage and sustain careers in public service, which are essential to building a more fair  and just society. We will continue working to ensure that public service remains an achievable path for those who choose it.”

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 6, 2025— Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, announced today that the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness, the American Red Cross, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), Legal Services Corporation (LSC), National VOAD, ProBono.net, SBP, and the World Institute on Disability (WID) will join the organization in the fifth annual Disaster Resilience Awareness Month this March.  

In 2021, Equal Justice Works created Disaster Resilience Awareness Month as a collaborative effort to raise awareness for disaster-related challenges, provide resources for survivors and advocates, and highlight the important role that legal professionals play in disaster recovery and resilience efforts. This year, national partners will join Equal Justice Works in an educational campaign to share resources related to disaster preparedness, response, and resilience with community members. 

“We are thrilled to band together during our fifth annual installment of Disaster Resilience Awareness Month with these other incredible organizations to share resources, educational events, and best practices in disaster resilience,” said Linda Anderson Stanley, senior director of programs at Equal Justice Works. “The benefit of bringing this community together for campaigns like Disaster Resilience Awareness Month has never been greater as disasters continue to impact our nation with greater frequency and severity.” 

“We recognize the importance of disaster resilience and the need to build local disaster -specific legal and appeals capacity,” said Amanda Ree, Red Cross Director of Wildfire Long-Term Recovery Programs. “We are proud to be participating in Disaster Resilience Awareness Month again this year. Community capacity building is tied to long-term resilience.”   

“We know that natural hazards are coming with greater frequency and severity, and therefore disaster preparedness is essential for all communities, but especially those most often overlooked in disaster recovery,” said Patricia McIlreavy, president and CEO of Center for Disaster Philanthropy. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to highlight how disaster readiness can improve resilience with the hope that all communities are better able to recover equitably when the next disaster strikes.” 

“The partnership between National VOAD and Equal Justice Works exemplifies our shared commitment to strengthening communities before, during, and after disasters,” said Amelia Mendizabal, Director of Programs at National VOAD. “By combining legal expertise with coordinated disaster response, we empower survivors with the resources and support they need to rebuild. Disaster Resilience Awareness Month is a crucial time to highlight the importance of preparedness, equity, and collaboration, ensuring no one is left behind when disaster strikes.” 

“Investments in preparedness and partnerships strengthen the response when disaster strikes, enabling faster and more effective mobilization of help for impacted communities,” said Liz Keith, Interim Co-Director at Pro Bono Net. “Pro Bono Net is honored to collaborate with Equal Justice Works and other national partners to spotlight the vital importance of disaster resilience and provide resources for every legal professional to get involved.” 

“SBP is proud to join Equal Justice Works and other national partners to highlight critical issues and solutions for high-risk communities across the US facing an increasing number of extreme weather events,” said Helen Wiley, SBP Disaster Preparedness Program Director. “At SBP, we see firsthand the many challenges, including financial and legal ones, that low-income families face in recovery and believe it is essential to work with all community stakeholders pre-disaster to enable greater readiness and speed recovery when disasters occur. In particular, Disaster Resilience Awareness Month presents a key educational opportunity to learn how both disaster insurance and aid work, as well as how to better mitigate risks.” 

“More than ever, the work of leaving no one behind must be at the center of everything we do,” said Marcie Roth, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at World Institute on Disability. “Communities are stronger and more resilient when everyone is able to protect themselves, their family and their neighborhood. Accessibility and inclusion are what makes this work.” 

As part of the 2025 campaign, Equal Justice Works is working with Stetson University College of Law to bring together legal, academic, and community voices instrumental in disaster law and the resilience movement for the second bi-annual Disaster Resilience Symposium on March 18-19 in Gulfport, Florida. At the symposium, participants will examine the latest trends in disaster academia, systemic issues, and the future of disaster response and preparedness. The event will highlight tools and resources that can be used by advocates to build resiliency in the communities they serve. Equal Justice Works, the ABA Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness, and Stetson University College of Law will cohost the event. 

In addition to the Symposium, Equal Justice Works invites our community to learn more about the important role that disaster lawyers play in recovery efforts to build communities back stronger. See the resources below:  

• The Disaster Philanthropy Playbook, created by CDP, is a collection of strategies, practices, case studies, and toolkits to help communities prepare for and equitably recover from disasters.  

• National VOAD encourages use of their resource hub, where recovery guides, templates, and best practices for cleanup can be found. 

• ProBono.net invites you to view the free resources for disaster survivors and legal professionals at Advocates for Disaster Justice. 

• Access SBP’s collection of free webinars, tools, and resources to enhance disaster preparedness, recovery, and resilience at their resource hub. 

• When asked to circulate resources related to disaster resilience, the World Institute on Disability shared the following: Strategies for Equitable Access to Vaccinations and Inclusive Disaster Response and Disability-Inclusive Emergency Preparedness and Community Perspectives. 

• The National Disaster Attorney Guidebook is an eBook from Equal Justice Works and the ABA Young Lawyers Division, created to provide pro bono and legal aid attorneys with an overview of disaster assistance resources and best practices for the advocates of low-income disaster survivors. 

Since 2005, Equal Justice Works has mobilized hundreds of passionate public service lawyers to deliver legal services to disaster-affected communities. To learn more about the organization’s efforts to mobilize public service leaders who are helping individuals and communities navigate disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, tornados, wildfires, extreme heat events, and winter storms, visit here. 

If your organization is interested in joining Equal Justice Works for Disaster Resilience Awareness Month in 2026, please reach out to [email protected]. 

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About Equal Justice Works 

Equal Justice Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service. As the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, Equal Justice Works brings together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, nonprofit legal aid organizations, and supporters to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice. 

About the ABA Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness 

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness is dedicated to equipping legal professionals and the public with critical resources to navigate the legal challenges that arise from disasters. 

About the American Red Cross  

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media. 

About Center for Disaster Philanthropy 

CDP mobilizes philanthropy to strengthen communities’ ability to withstand disasters and recover equitably when they occur. It provides expert advice and educational resources, supports diverse coalitions and manages domestic and international disaster funds on behalf of corporations, foundations and individuals through targeted, holistic and localized grantmaking. Find out more at disasterphilanthropy.org and LinkedIn. 

About Legal Services Corporation 

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974. For 50 years, LSC has provided financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation currently provides funding to 130 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. 

About National VOAD 

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) is a coalition of nonprofit, foundations, and State/Territory VOAD community organizations that work together to provide disaster relief and recovery across the United States. Founded in 1970, National VOAD brings together members and partners to foster collaboration, coordination, communication, and cooperation—the “4Cs”—to ensure more effective and efficient response efforts. By uniting organizations with diverse expertise, National VOAD helps communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Learn more at www.nvoad.org. 

About ProBono.net 

Pro Bono Net’s mission is to create scalable and sustainable technology solutions and partnerships that bring free, safe and high-quality legal help to millions of people. Its programs (i) enable individuals to directly access the power of the law; (ii) empower advocates and volunteers to more effectively reach and represent those in need; and (iii) equip legal, social justice and community organizations with tools and resources to grow their impact. Through Advocates for Disaster Justice (https://www.advocatesfordisasterjustice.org), Pro Bono Net and its partners harness the power of shared experience and offer free resources to survivors and legal advocates working to advance equity, rights and resilience in communities impacted by climate-driven and other disasters. 

About SBP 

SBP is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities to shrink the time between disaster and recovery by rebuilding homes, increasing resilience, and improving systems to better serve all Americans. Founded in 2006 in response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, to date, SBP has built 6,300 homes in 16 communities in the U.S. and The Bahamas. For more information, please visit SBP’s website. 

About the World Institute on Disability 

The World Institute on Disability (WID) is a registered 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization that is dedicated to designing, building, and supporting whole community solutions by removing barriers to include people with disabilities. Our mission on a global scale is to continuously advance the rights and opportunities of more than 1.3 billion people with disabilities. Towards creation of a more inclusive global society, WID’s programs focus on three strategic areas that have profound impact: Accessibility and Universal Design; Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Climate Resilience; and Community Inclusion. WID is disrupting exclusion, establishing accessible communities, and elevating the leadership of multiply-marginalized disabled people. For more information about WID, please visit www.wid.org.  

Rishi Varma is Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary of Cargill 

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 12, 2025 — Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, today announced that Rishi Varma, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary of Cargill, will be honored at the Equal Justice Works Scales of Justice event on November 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  

“Rishi’s dedication to advancing equity and inclusion through pro bono and community service wherever he operates makes him a worthy recipient of this award,” said Verna Williams, Equal Justice Works CEO. “He is a devoted advocate for increased access, diversity, and equity in our legal system. We’re honored to recognize and celebrate his contributions at this year’s event.” 

Equal Justice Works presents the Scales of Justice Award annually to a legal leader who has demonstrated exemplary support of public interest law and a commitment to equal access to justice, and who contributed significantly to the mission and vision of Equal Justice Works.  

In response to his selection as the 2025 Scales of Justice recipient, Rishi stated, “I am honored to receive this recognition from Equal Justice Works. I became a lawyer because I wanted to advocate for people. And I believe that it is our calling as lawyers, advocating for those who need it most. I look forward to continuing this work alongside the Equal Justice Works community to ensure all individuals feel valued, respected and advocated for.” 

Rishi has played a pivotal role in advancing the cause of equal access to justice and supporting public interest law throughout his notable career. As a member of the Equal Justice Works Board of Counselors since 2022, Rishi has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to advancing the organization’s mission – both in his new role at Cargill and during his tenure at Hewlett Packard Enterprise where he supported the co-sponsorship of Equal Justice Works Fellows since 2013. His involvement on the Board of the Tahirih Justice Center, where he worked on visa and asylum cases, reflects his dedication to addressing societal and institutional barriers to access to justice. 

Rishi also serves on the board of the Texas Asia Society, the leading educational organization promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among the peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the West, as well as the Memorial Hermann Hospital System Board, and the Georgetown University Law Center Advisory Board. Equal Justice Works is pleased to honor Rishi with the Scales of Justice Award. 

Click here for more information about the Scales of Justice. 

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About Equal Justice Works 

Equal Justice Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service. As the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, Equal Justice Works brings together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, nonprofit legal aid organizations, and supporters to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice. 

Contact
Emily Singer
Director, Communications  

Email: [email protected]  

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 30, 2025— Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, today announced that Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) awarded the Disaster Resilience Program a $575,000 grant to mobilize three Attorney Fellows throughout the Midwest to address the unique disaster-related legal needs of vulnerable communities in this region. 

Over the past few years, the Midwest has experienced an increase in the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters, including severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding. People in low-income and marginalized communities impacted by these events turn to legal aid as they work to rebuild and recover. Fellows in the Disaster Resilience Program increase the bandwidth of community-based legal services organizations to respond to the resulting surge in demand for legal aid. 

Through this grant, three attorney Fellows and three accompanying summer law student Fellows will mobilize to new areas in the Midwest for two years. Equal Justice Works will issue a needs assessment in the target areas to help determine the nature, location, and focus of the MACP-funded Fellowships. Equal Justice Works also acknowledges the unique needs of tribal communities in the region as well as the need to address low-attention disasters, and aims to gather more information on how to better serve these communities as well.    

“We are thrilled to receive this support to extend disaster legal aid to midwestern communities,” said Linda Anderson Stanley, the director of Fellowships at Equal Justice Works. “These Fellows will be able to provide services that match the growing need for legal aid in the aftermath of disasters like floods, tornadoes, and severe storms.”  

Click here to learn more about the Disaster Resilience Program. A request for proposals to host Fellows through this grant will open soon. Please stay tuned! 

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About Equal Justice Works   

Equal Justice Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service. As the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, Equal Justice Works brings together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, nonprofit legal aid organizations, and supporters to promote public service and inspire a lifelong commitment to equal justice.   

About Margaret A Cargill Philanthropies 

Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) provides meaningful assistance to society, the arts, and the environment. Based in Minnesota, MACP is the umbrella over two grantmaking foundations: Margaret A. Cargill Foundation and Anne Ray Foundation. Rooted in guidance from our founder, Margaret Cargill, we engage with strategic partners to support work that makes a lasting difference for communities, with particular attention to overlooked causes. Our global funding spans seven domains connected through common strategies and approaches: Animal Welfare, Arts & Cultures, Disaster Relief & Recovery, Environment, Legacy & Opportunity, Quality of Life, and Teachers & Students. The collective assets of MACP place it among the largest philanthropies in the United States.

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 23, 2025— Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, today announced that Ramiah C. Johnson, a third-year law student at the University of Mississippi School of Law in Oxford, Mississippi, has joined the Board of Directors as the law student representative. Additionally, Frank Jimenez, Group Vice President and General Counsel of GE Healthcare, was named as Board Chair succeeding Kathryn Fritz of Fenwick West. 

The Equal Justice Works Board of Directors is composed of national leaders from every corner of the legal profession including judges, corporate counsel, law firm partners, law students, Fellow Alumni, academics, and public interest law leaders and advocates. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Ramiah to the Board of Directors,” said Verna Williams, CEO of Equal Justice Works. “We look forward to having her distinct and valuable perspective as a student Fellow alumnus at the table as we lay the groundwork for our upcoming 40th anniversary.” 

Ramiah is a third-year law student whose commitment to public interest is apparent in her several on-campus extracurriculars and in her track record of summer involvements. During her first-year summer, she interned for the Honorable Judge James E. Graves Jr. at the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, where she honed her skills in legal research, drafting memoranda, and interpreting complex legal issues. In her second-year summer, she was a Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellow through Equal Justice Works at North Mississippi Rural Legal Services’ Low-Income Legal Tax Clinic, where she assisted clients with intricate tax challenges and ensured that their rights were upheld.

“I am thrilled to join such an inspiring group of individuals to collaborate on innovative ways to expand access to legal assistance for underserved communities,” said Ramiah. “This opportunity is truly invaluable, and I am excited to see the impact we can make together over the next three years!” 

In 2021, Ramiah graduated from Mississippi College with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She remains driven to apply her education and experience to uplift and advocate for those in need, with a goal of showing that justice is accessible and equitable for all.  

Nominations for the law student board member are accepted each year from the Equal Justice Works community before being presented to the board of directors for final selection. 

Read more about the Equal Justice Works Board of Directors, including all active members, here. Read more about the current members of the Board of Counselors here. 

In response to the 2024 presidential election results, Equal Justice Works CEO Verna Williams released the following statement: 

“Since our organization was founded, we’ve remained devoted to ensuring that the justice system works for everyone, not just the privileged few. That mission remains unchanged, and it transcends any single election or administration.

There is deep distrust in our legal system. In recent years, more than 90% of people’s civil legal needs went unmet, primarily resulting in Americans of color not receiving the legal help they needed and a massive gap in our justice system—highlighting the urgent need for continued efforts to address these inequities.

We know that addressing the inequalities across race, class, and gender by creating resilience among our communities to prepare for climate disaster, advocating for fair housing, and advancing justice throughout society requires sustained commitment. And we recognize the injustices we confront existed long before this election. They’re complex and controversial. But we do the work anyway because we share a vision of a nation where the legal system is just, fair, and accessible.

History has shown that progress is a long-term endeavor requiring persistence and solidarity. Together, we will continue to strive for a more just and equitable society.”

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 9, 2024— Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, has been awarded a total of $1.93 million in grants by the Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC) and the South Carolina Bar Foundation. These grants build upon prior support to the Housing Program at Equal Justice Works, which increases capacity at host organizations throughout Maryland and South Carolina to provide legal services to income-eligible clients facing eviction and housing instability. Fellows will help bolster the civil legal aid network in Maryland, and work to continue expanding housing courts across South Carolina.

“We know that too many organizations across Maryland and South Carolina do not have the capacity to meet the needs of all low-income households seeking services for housing and eviction related issues,” said Laura Roach, senior program manager for the Housing Justice Program at Equal Justice Works. “We are so grateful for the continued support from the Maryland Legal Services Corporation and the South Carolina Bar Foundation that allows us to expand bandwidth of housing justice initiatives throughout these states.”

According to a needs assessment report published by Equal Justice Works in 2023, 93% of respondents indicated that their organization did not have the capacity to serve all eligible individuals seeking services for housing and eviction related issues. That is why Fellows like those funded through these grants are instrumental in providing free legal access to the communities served by the Housing Justice Program.

The grant from Maryland Legal Services Corporation will mobilize nine Attorney Fellows in Maryland to provide legal aid in eviction proceedings, conduct outreach, and build strategic partnerships. The main goal of these Fellows will be to build capacity across the state and address four key challenges that past Housing Justice Program Fellows and host organizations have identified: the large volume of cases throughout the state, a lack of tenant awareness of rights and resources, inconsistent court practices, and the extensive travel time required to work throughout large service areas.

“We are excited to fund another class of Housing Justice Program Fellows in Maryland,” said Karen Wabeke, Director of Special Programs at MLSC. “The Fellows will expand our grantees’ capacity to represent tenants facing eviction as part of the Access to Counsel in Evictions program and build a pipeline of eviction defense attorneys across the state.”

The South Carolina Bar Foundation also offered grant support which will help mobilize four Fellows in South Carolina to work in local legal services organizations and expand from Charleston and Richland Counties to Beaufort, Dorchester, and Jasper Counties, where services for eviction prevention legal services are sparse. This grant will help the program build on its 2023 expansion into South Carolina and continue to build a pipeline on housing-related legal services and advocacy network in the state.

Since 1993, Equal Justice Works has mobilized more than 40 Fellows to combat housing instability at the individual, community, and systemic levels. In 2019, the organization created the Housing Justice Program, placing eight Fellows at legal services organizations in the Greater Richmond Region of Virginia to serve low-income individuals and families facing evictions. Since then, it has expanded to other states experiencing housing crises, such as Maryland, and South Carolina. Throughout the program’s operation, Fellows have conducted more than 325 trainings for tenants in the community and prevented or delayed eviction for more than 9,400 households. Fellows were also instrumental in coordinating public pressure campaigns that yielded multiple new codified tenant protections, making it more difficult to evict residents from their homes.

“Our Statewide Civil Legal Needs Assessment released last year in South Carolina tells us that Housing and Family law are the areas of greatest need for legal services, with eviction defense being the most pressing area of need within the housing context,” said Olivia Jones, Executive Director of the South Carolina Bar Foundation. “Equal Justice Works focuses on this area, putting boots on the ground to provide South Carolinians with accessible and necessary legal services, which significantly improves outcomes for individuals and families facing the devastating prospect of losing their home.”

To learn more about the Housing Justice Program, click here. To see the Housing Justice Program Fellows currently working to address and prevent housing injustices, click here.

The Housing Justice Program is made possible thanks to the generosity of The JPB Foundation, Maryland Legal Services Corporation, South Carolina Bar Foundation, and Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina.

Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, today announced the newest members of its National Advisory Committee. 

Formed in 2003, the National Advisory Committee (NAC) is a diverse group of law students and law school professionals who serve as Equal Justice Works ambassadors within the law school and legal services communities. NAC members extend the reach of Equal Justice Works initiatives by providing leadership, feedback, and outreach assistance to support the organization’s mission to create opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for public service into a lifelong commitment to equal justice. 

“We are looking forward to working with our new NAC members and welcoming them to the Committee,” said Aoife Delargy Lowe, the vice president of law school engagement and advocacy at Equal Justice Works. “These new members will use their experience and insights to ensure that Equal Justice Works continues to offer quality opportunities to students, broadcast our programming on campus, and raise awareness about how essential public interest law is to building equal access to justice” 

NAC members serve two-year staggered terms, and each year we welcome new members to replace those who have completed their terms of service. This year, the Committee welcomes five law students and three law school professionals. The newest members of the 2024-2026 National Advisory Committee include: 

Law Students: 

• Kayla Campbell, Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law
• Christina Velazquez, University of Miami School of Law
• Hannah Dean, Duquesne University School of Law
• Carschana Laporte, Michigan State University College of Law
• Kaila Wilkinson, University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law   

“I applied to serve on the Equal Justice Works NAC because I am committed to making a difference by helping bridge the gap between a lack of healthcare resources and the legal policies that influence health outcomes, said Kayla Campbell, law student at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law. “I am most looking forward to working with other likeminded individuals dedicated to social justice and seeing how we make an impact.” 

Law School Professionals: 

• Eunice Caussade-Garcia, Associate Instructor, Florida A&M University College of Law
• Lily Su, Director of Access to Justice Institute, Seattle University School of Law
• Erin Kelly, Assistant Director of Career Counseling, The George Washington University Law School 

“I have witnessed firsthand how Equal Justice Works Fellows have helped to transform the lives of community members in greatest need” said Lily Su, the director of the Access to Justice Institute and a Law Student Professional on the National Advisory Committee. “Like EJW, I believe that a community of lawyers committed to public service can fulfill our nation’s promise of equal justice for all, and I welcome the chance to share my insights and experience as a National Advisory Committee Member.” 

Equal Justice Works National Advisory Committee 

The NAC will host its annual meeting in August. At the meeting, members will discuss how to best increase knowledge and understanding of public interest law in their respective regions. 

For more information about the National Advisory Committee members and to see a current list of members, visit here. 

Ahilan T. Arulanantham is the Professor from Practice and Faculty Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy (CILP) at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law. 

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 17, 2024—Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, announced that Ahilan T. Arulanantham, Professor from Practice and Faculty Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy (CILP) at the UCLA School of Law, will be honored as the 2024 recipient of the Equal Justice Works Distinguished Alumni Award at the organization’s Scales of Justice event on October 15, 2024. Ahilan was a class of 2000 Equal Justice Works Fellow whose work at the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project focused on protecting the rights of detained immigrants seeking asylum. 

“Ahilan is a vivid example of how Equal Justice Works Fellowships develop and launch public service leaders. In the twenty years after his Fellowship, Ahilan not only has advocated effectively for communities in need, he also is educating the next generation of leaders,” said Verna Williams, CEO of Equal Justice Works. “We are looking forward to uplifting his achievements and his commitment to broadening equal access to justice at our 2024 Scales of Justice event.”  

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes an Equal Justice Works alum who has made outstanding contributions as a leader in public interest law; has distinguished themselves through creating lasting impact in the communities they serve; embodies the organizational values of passion, community, service, opportunity, and equal access to justice; and reflects the transformative power of an Equal Justice Works Fellowship. 

“I am truly honored to receive this award from Equal Justice Works,” said Ahilan. “I will always be grateful to Equal Justice Works for giving me the opportunity to start my career doing immigrants’ rights advocacy. The Fellowship truly changed my life, opening up new vistas that would have been impossible without it. Later, Equal Justice Works Fellows I had the privilege of supervising played a crucial role in some of the most meaningful work of my career on behalf of vulnerable immigrants facing deportation without the assistance of counsel. I will forever be grateful for what Equal Justice Works has meant to me personally, and to the broader immigrants’ rights movement.”   

“Our Fellow alumni are an incredible group of more than 2,700 public service leaders. Through the Distinguished Alumni Award, we are pleased to recognize Ahilan’s commitment to serving immigrant communities, advocacy for equal access to justice, and public interest leadership,” said Lynbea Toombs, the director of alumni relations at Equal Justice Works.  

Since his Fellowship, Ahilan has continued to advocate alongside immigrant communities. He has successfully litigated many cases involving immigrants’ rights, including Franco-Gonzalez v. Holder, the first case to establish a federal right to appointed counsel for any group of immigrants. Ahilan has argued three times before the United States Supreme Court, most recently in FBI v. Fazaga on behalf of Americans of the Muslim faith whom the federal government targeted for surveillance because of their religion. He has also testified before the United States Congress and taught at both the University of Chicago Law School and at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. 

Before joining UCLA’s faculty, Ahilan was Senior Counsel at the ACLU in Los Angeles, where he worked for nearly twenty years. Ahilan has also worked as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in El Paso, Texas. In 2007 and 2013, California Lawyer Magazine’s named him one of the Lawyers of the Year for immigrants’ rights; he also has been listed as one of the Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers in California repeatedly over the last decade. In 2016, Ahilan was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, also known as a “Genius Grant.” 

Click here for more information about the Scales of Justice. Click here to learn more about Ahilan. 

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About Equal Justice Works 

Equal Justice Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service. As the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, Equal Justice Works brings together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, nonprofit legal aid organizations, and supporters to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice. 

Contact 

Emily Singer 

Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications 

Email: [email protected]