Ninth Circuit upholds case requiring U.S. EPA to regulate invasive species pollution
Life Science Weekly – August 12

The Environmental Law Clinic at Stanford Law School announced that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of environmental organizations seeking to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate ship discharges under the Clean Water Act. Dealing a setback to the shipping industry, the decision follows a 2005 lower court ruling that the EPA had illegally exempted ship discharges from Clean Water Act requirements. "The San Francisco Bay and Delta have been completely invaded by non-native species introduced by commercial ships coming to our ports. Species such as the Asian clam and Chinese mitten crab are clogging the intake pipes of drinking water facilities and power plants, harming the commercial fishing industry, and destroying native species habitat," said Sejal Choksi, San Francisco Baykeeper [and Equal Justice Works Alumnus].

Hon. Ann Claire Williams, Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Honored with Margaret Brent Award
ABA News – August 11

The Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, established by the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession in 1991, recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of women lawyers who have excelled in their field and have paved the way to success for other women lawyers. Equal Justice Works board member Ann Claire Williams, is being presented with the 2008 Margaret Brent Award. Her work on the board is also recognized.

Gay unions gaining global acceptance; California creates 'ripple effect'
By Hilary Stohs-Krause, Washington Times – August 10

When California moves on something as controversial as same-sex marriage, it affects not only other U.S. states, but countries around the world. A California court decision in May establishing a right to same-sex marriages - which faces a ballot challenge in November - is a major battle in a global culture war that is slowly winning legal acceptance for some form of gay union. "I think that having California ... take this step to treat gay and lesbian couples equally will have a huge ripple effect on people in other states," said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights [and Equal Justice Works Alumnus]. "We will see people getting used to the reality of having hundreds of thousands of married gay and lesbian couples" living both in California and other states.

Police are sued by ACLU
By Thomas Caywood, Telegram & Gazette (MA) – August 7

The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts has filed a lawsuit against the Worcester Police Department, claiming city police are on the wrong side of the law when it comes to a public records request. The Boston-based civil rights group claims the Police Department is violating the state Public Records Law by refusing to turn over data about arrests in city schools - information it says other large police departments in the state have provided without any problems. "Worcester is the only one that responded that, at first, they had no records, and then refused to return calls for a long time when we were trying to follow up. Other communities all came up with something, and not one, other than Worcester, told us they had nothing," said Amy Reichbach, a lawyer in the ACLU's Boston office and a juvenile justice advocate [and Equal Justice Works Alumna].

EQCA raises $1.6M for No on 8
By Karen Ocamb, Bay Area Reporter – August 7

The battle is heating up in the high stakes campaign over Proposition 8, the anti-gay initiative on the November ballot that would overturn marriage equality. On August 2, in a spirited 15-minute fundraising spree, Equality California raised $1.6 million in contributions to the No on 8 campaign. The gala raised a total of $2.2 million, EQCA spokeswoman Ali Bay said, a record for the most contributions for a single fundraiser in EQCA's 10-year history. The loudest and longest standing ovation in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton Hotel went to NCLR legal director [and Equal Justice Works Alumnus] Shannon Minter, who argued the successful marriage case before the California Supreme Court.

As Iraq surplus rises, little goes into rebuilding
By James Glanz, New York Times – August 5

From 2005 to 2007, Iraq devoted only 1 percent of the operating expenses in its budget to maintaining reconstruction projects that had been built with either American or Iraqi money. That finding raised fresh questions over whether the huge investment in some of those projects would have any long-term impact. Like so many statistical measures from Iraq, the ones in the new report are likely to be used to support opposite positions on how much the United States should continue spending and how long it should stay in the country, said Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense in Washington [and Equal Justice Works Alumna].

E-mail hacking case could redefine online privacy
By Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post – August 6

In August 2007, Judge Florence-Marie Cooper, in the Central District of California, ruled that the alleged hacker, Rob Anderson, had not intercepted the e-mails in violation of the 1968 Wiretap Act because they were technically in storage, if only for a few instants, instead of in transmission. "The case is alarming because its implications will reach far beyond a single civil case," wrote Kevin Bankston, a senior attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation [and former Fellow] in a friend-of-the-court brief filed Friday. If upheld, the foundation argued, "law enforcement officers could engage in the contemporaneous acquisition of e-mails just as Anderson did, without having to comply with the Wiretap Act's requirements." Those requirements are strict, including a warrant based on probable cause as well as high-level government approvals and proof alternatives would not work.

Measure would ease loan debt for DAs; PDs
By Patrick OBrien, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin – August 5

A federal loan-forgiveness program may make it easier to recruit recent law school grads to become prosecutors and public defenders by easing their student debt. The $25 million Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act passed the House and Senate last week and is heading to President Bush's desk, according to Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, who discussed the measure along with Cook County State's Attorney Richard A. Devine at a news conference on Monday. Washington-based public interest law advocate Equal Justice Works says law schools also have expanded their loan assistance programs, with more than 100 schools having some form of loan deferment or loan forgiveness in exchange for work in public interest law.

Kagan is honored for her work to encourage public service
Harvard Law School – August 4

Dean Elena Kagan ’86 has been awarded the 2008 John R. Kramer Outstanding Law Dean Award from Equal Justice Works for her extensive efforts to promote and support public service. "I am deeply honored to be recognized by Equal Justice Works," said Kagan. "There's no more important part of my job than ensuring that Harvard Law students have the greatest opportunities possible to do public service. I look forward to working with faculty, staff, and students at HLS and to teaming up with organizations like Equal Justice Works to continue these efforts."

Equal Justice Works names 2008 public interest law leaders
Reuters – August 4

Equal Justice Works today announced this year's recipients of its annual awards for outstanding contributions to the field of public interest law.

ACLU of Florida announces statewide expansion of LGBT Advocacy Project
Steve Rothaus, Miami Herald Blog – August 4

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida today announced the expansion of its statewide LGBT Advocacy Project with the addition of legal and field staff in its Tampa and Miami offices. Shelbi Day joins the ACLU of Florida’s LGBT Advocacy Project as a staff attorney based in the ACLU of Florida’s West Central Florida regional office, located in Tampa. Prior to working with NCLR, Shelbi was employed by Southern Legal Counsel, Inc., initially as an Equal Justice Works Fellow and later as a staff attorney, litigating a diverse range of civil rights cases.

Immigration raid case scrutinized
By Nicole Gaouette, Los Angeles Times – August 1

Justice Department officials who prosecuted hundreds of illegal immigrants arrested at an Iowa meatpacking plant in May used a government-created manual to speed through guilty pleas, a potential violation of the rights of those detained in the raid, the American Civil Liberties Union said Thursday. "The government's tactics really undermined the constitutional protections of due process and presumption of innocence," ACLU staff attorney [and former Equal Justice Works Fellow] Monica Ramirez said.