Equal Justice Works Lawyers serve on the frontlines of many of the most pressing social issues in America. They offer first-hand, real-world accounts of the effects of public policies on the lives of those most affected by them. Equal Justice Works headquarters staff in Washington provide informed perspectives on many facets of legal services, public interest law and legal education.

Equal Justice Works Fellows and
Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Attorneys

This year, 160 Equal Justice Works Fellows and AmeriCorps Legal Fellows are working in communities around America on a range of critical social and legal issues: affordable housing, community economic development, education rights, health care, immigration reform, voting rights/electoral participation, workers’ rights and others. A roster of Equal Justice Works Lawyers, their host organizations, and programs is available at www.equaljusticeworks.org/communities/participants.

For timely access to a national network of public interest attorneys, contact Sally Carlson, scarlson@equaljusticeworks.org, 202-466-3686 ext 102.

David Stern
 Executive Director

David joined Equal Justice Works in 1992 as the first Director of the Fellowships program and became Executive Director in June 1995. Since then, the organization’s budget has grown from $1.5 million to more than $9 million, the staff has grown from eight to 36, the number of postgraduate fellowships has grown from 20 to more than 100 per year; and more than 95 percent of ABA-accredited schools are members of Equal Justice Works. David graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1985 and clerked for two federal judges in Baltimore.

For an expert perspective on pro bono law, the need for legal services, and the future of public service in America including the effects of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, contact dstern@equaljusticeworks.org, 202-466-3686 ext 118.

Cait Clarke
Director, Public Interest Law Opportunities

Cait is a respected legal educator who joined Equal Justice Works in 2007 with 18 years of experience teaching, training, and consulting on the law and legal affairs. Most recently as the director of Clarke Consulting she provided leadership and management consulting to nonprofit organizations, public defense and legal aid programs. She is extensively published, with law reviews, articles, book chapters and book reviews to her credit. Cait holds her S.J.D. from Harvard Law School, LL.M from Georgetown University Law Center's Criminal Justice Clinic, J.D. from Catholic University's Columbus School of Law, and B.S. from Villanova University's School of Commerce and Finance.

For an expert perspective on lawyers entering public service and on developments in public defense management, contact cclarke@equaljusticeworks.org, 202 -466-3686 ext 132.

Heather Jarvis
Senior Program Manager, Law School Advocacy

Heather is a national expert on educational debt and the financial barriers facing law graduates. She has been a leading player nationally in advocating for and now interpreting the new federal student loan forgiveness law, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. She has contributed to legislative proposals for the House Education Committee and others in Congress, made several presentations to law school faculty, administrators and students, and has given numerous media interviews on educational debt and the new law. Heather currently serves as Vice Chair of the ABA Section of Legal Education’s Committee on Government Relations and Student Financial Aid

Her presentations and other resources related to the new statute can be found on www.equaljusticeworks.org. As Senior Program Manager for Law School Advocacy at Equal Justice Works, Heather authored the 2006 study Financing the Future, Responses to the Rising Debt of Law Students. Heather earned her J.D. cum laude from Duke University School of Law in 1998 and has eight years’ experience as a capital defense attorney.

For an expert perspective on law school debt and the effects of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 contact hjarvis@equaljusticeworks.org, 202-466-3686 ext. 103.