Most Influential General Counsel
By Leigh Jones, National Law Journal – March 30

In this inaugural publication of The National Law Journal's Most Influential General Counsel, we have highlighted 20 attorneys whose leadership has proven strong — and even creative — during the turmoil in the legal industry. Three Equal Justice Works board members – Carol Ann Petren, Laura Stein and Amy Schulman – are three of the honorees.

Mentally ill detainees held without contact
By Sandra Hernandez, Daily Journal – March 26

Federal immigration officials have held mentally ill immigrant detainees in a little known network of private psychiatric hospitals in Southern California beyond the reach of their families and lawyers in apparent violation of state law. Greg Pleasants, an Equal Justice Fellow and attorney with Mental Health Advocacy Services Inc. in Los Angeles, has taken on a couple of mentally ill immigrants' cases. He said the men's ordeals underscore that few safeguards are in place to protect mentally ill immigrants in detention.

Unpaid wage complaints on the rise in NJ
By Samantha Henry, Associated Press – March 26

Zhen Zhong Zhang, a cook in a busy Chinese restaurant, suspected something was wrong when he was working 70 hours a week but was taking home just $500. Zhang learned about his rights in a Chinese language seminar given by a local community group. [Equal Justice Works Alumnus] Alexander Saingchin, a lawyer with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national advocacy group for the protection and promotion of the civil rights of Asian Americans, helped Zhang confront his employer. Saingchin says cases like Zhang's are common, especially in low-wage work places that are largely staffed with immigrant workers. He says many employers assume immigrant workers will be unfamiliar with the U.S. legal system and unaware of their rights.

Law firms scramble to place deferred associates in volunteer posts
By Rachel Breitman, American Lawyer – March 19

As more law firms announce deferral dates for incoming associates, questions are piling up about just how the firms will find and manage the volunteer opportunities they're hoping to send their newbie lawyers off to. Leaders at several public interest law organizations caution firms to take their time in matching associates and their interests with the right opportunity. "Firms are running around trying to beat the competition in placing their associates," says David Stern, chief executive of Equal Justice Works and a participant in Monday's conference call. "But it's not going to be a useful service if they just throw lawyers at nonprofit jobs without finding the proper fit."

Non-profit sues feds over withheld border fence information
By Laura Tillman, Brownsville Herald – March 12

The consumer advocacy non-profit Public Citizen filed a lawsuit on behalf of a University of Texas School of Law professor on Wednesday, claiming that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers withheld documents about the U.S.-Mexico border fence. Public Citizen lawyer [and Equal Justice Works Fellow] Margaret Kwoka says that each of the three agencies inappropriately responded to Gilman's requests in different ways.

Calif justices hear arguments in gay marriage case
By Lisa Leff, Associated Press – March 6

As thousands demonstrated outside Thursday, California Supreme Court justices weighed whether voters' decision to ban same-sex marriage was a denial of fundamental rights or within what one justice called the people's "very broad powers" to amend the state constitution. Minutes into the proceedings, the justices peppered [Equal Justice Works Alumnus] Shannon Minter, arguing for same-sex couples, with tough questions over how the 14 words of Proposition 8 represent a revision of the state's constitution or a denial of fundamental rights.

Transparency fight over CVS Caremark contracting practices escalates with lawsuit for release of university drug benefit contract
BusinessWire – March 3

Change to Win today sued Ferris State University, seeking the release of a government contract between the university and CVS Caremark, a pharmacy benefit management (PBM) company, among other documents. Change to Win is represented by [Equal Justice Works Fellow] Margaret Kwoka, an attorney at Public Citizen, a nonprofit organization with a history of fighting for government transparency, and by attorney Ted Iorio of the Michigan firm Kalniz, Iorio & Feldstein.

Consumer lawyers fighting against legal tide
By Laura Ernde, Daily Journal – March 3

Last month, the California Supreme Court limited consumer attorney's ability to sue companies over objectionable fine print in service contracts; a ruling that eight consumer groups recently asked the justices to reconsider. This week they'll try to persuade the high court to overturn two appellate court rulings they say would further stymie their ability to hold companies accountable for fleecing customers. If the California Supreme Court sides with the lower court, it "would effectively annihilate the class action device in California," which is designed to let people come together to challenge a company's policies or actions, said [Equal Justice Works board member] Jim Sturdevant, of the Sturdevant Law Firm in San Francisco and a board member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates.