FACT SHEETS (Download as PDF)

• ABOUT EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS
• EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS/WEST
• EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOWSHIPS
• AMERICORPS LEGAL FELLOWS
• SUMMER CORPS
• KATRINA INITIATIVE
• LAW SCHOOL ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH
• CONFERENCE AND CAREER FAIR

ABOUT EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

In a democratic society sustained by the rule of law, access to legal representation is fundamental to ensuring the basic rights of all its members. Equal Justice Works creates a more secure, just and equitable nation by ensuring a sustainable pipeline of talented lawyers entering public service and by fostering broad commitment to public interest law and pro bono services.

MISSION

The mission of Equal Justice Works is to create a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice.

Founded in 1986 as the National Association for Public Interest Law (NAPIL), today Equal Justice Works collaborates with the nation’s leading law schools, law firms, corporate legal departments and nonprofit organizations to provide the training and skills that enable attorneys to provide effective representation to vulnerable populations.

Thousands of idealistic law students pursue legal careers in order to combat injustice and solve social problems such as domestic violence, limited access to health care, lack of affordable housing, employment discrimination, consumer fraud and environmental degradation. However, scarce entry-level job opportunities and overwhelming student-loan debt prevent many law graduates from pursuing public interest careers.

Equal Justice Works seeks to reduce these barriers to careers in public service and provide opportunities for law students and new law graduates to work on behalf of individuals, communities and causes that most need, but can least afford, legal help.

PROGRAMS

Lawyers can make a significant difference in the lives of individuals and communities that desperately need legal assistance to obtain justice. Equal Justice Works provides a continuum of programs that begin with prospective law school students and extend later into careers in the profession.

Public Interest Law Opportunities for New Lawyers
Equal Justice Works administers the largest postgraduate legal fellowship program in the nation, placing new lawyers in two-year assignments at nonprofit public interest organizations where they implement projects that address pressing community needs.

Fellowship projects have a substantial impact on the communities served through direct representation, community education and precedent-setting litigation. Fellowship projects improve access to the judicial system for the most vulnerable among us: children, the disabled, senior citizens, people with HIV/AIDS, battered women and racial and ethnic minorities. The program consistently attracts bright, enthusiastic and skilled law graduates with creative ideas and a commitment to providing excellent legal services.

Today, Equal Justice Works supports 100 fellows in 22 states and Washington, D.C. Many Equal Justice Works Fellows use their project as a launching pad for a long-term public interest career. A majority of the more than 550 alumni are still practicing in the public interest sector.

Recognizing the value of volunteer service and the need for more legal resources among low-income communities, in 2003 Equal Justice Works created the Pro Bono Legal Corps (PBLC). Supported by an AmeriCorps grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, PBLC offers law graduates the opportunity to promote public service among law students and at law schools, while developing their own legal and professional skills.

The mission of PBLC is to build a commitment to pro bono service at law schools and among future lawyers by expanding law student and law school involvement in the delivery of critically needed legal services. PBLC also strives to raise the awareness of public interest issues at law schools.

PBLC provides opportunities for 35 law graduates to work at 17 pro bono and legal services organizations in nine states. These Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Attorneys recruit hundreds of law student volunteers from dozens of law schools to engage in pro bono work during the school year to serve the legal needs of thousands of individuals.

Legal Assistance for Hurricane Survivors
The Equal Justice Works Katrina Initiative has been established to address the many legal needs of the areas hardest hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Through three programs under the initiative, Equal Justice Works places 19 lawyers and 65 law students at nonprofit organizations located in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama to help the hundreds of thousands of people left without homes, jobs, access to health care and social services due to the damage from the hurricanes.

Making Equal Justice Work: The E-Guide to Public Service at America’s Law Schools
The E-Guide is an online resource that provides a broad range of information about public interest programs and curriculum at America’s law schools. It picks up where the existing commercial publications leave off by filling the information void about public service in law schools. By presenting information in easily accessible formats and by providing comprehensive information on public interest law programs, applicants are able to make more informed choices about law schools and the legal community recognizes public interest law as an important part of a quality legal education. The E-Guide is hosted on Newsweek.com at http://ejw.newsweek.com .

Conference and Career Fair
Each year Equal Justice Works hosts the legal profession’s largest national public service job fair at its Conference and Career Fair. The event typically attracts more than 1,000 law students and graduates, as well as more than 150 public interest employers—national nonprofit organizations, public defenders, legal aid offices and federal government agencies—seeking to fill internships and staff positions in public interest law.

Rewarding Summer Internships in Public Interest Law
Summer Corps is an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps program that in 2007 provided 350 law students with a $1,000 education award for spending the summer using their legal skills on behalf of low-income individuals, families and communities who would otherwise not have access to justice. Summer Corps members provide critically needed legal services, increase the staffing capacity of the nonprofit organizations where they work, and build the resources of the community-based organizations with whom they collaborate.

Contact: James Carroll, Communications Director, jcarroll@equaljusticeworks.org, (202) 466-3686 ext. 102

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EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS/WEST

In March 2008, Equal Justice Works opened the first office outside of its Washington, D.C. headquarters in San Francisco, California. Equal Justice Works/West is part of the organization’s strategy to strengthen its existing programs and expand the reach of its efforts in California. Equal Justice Works named civil rights attorney and legal educator Diane Chin to lead this initiative.

ROLE OF EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS/WEST

In 2008, Equal Justice Works is supporting 31 fellows working at 20 legal services agencies in 12 cities in California. They provide direct legal service and other support to underserved individuals and communities. Equal Justice Works/West will help to coordinate and expand services in California by:

• Supporting Equal Justice Works Lawyers in California through training and coordination;
• Providing programming for alumni, sponsors, law schools and host organizations;
• Overseeing the fellowship selection process including participating in interviews of fellowship candidates on the West Coast;
• Participating in the design and implementation of strategic reform initiatives, especially in substantive areas (e.g. juvenile justice, immigration and human rights); and
• Assisting headquarters staff in developing strategies to increase the organization’s presence throughout the Western region and other parts of the country.

CONTRIBUTIONS IN CALIFORNIA

Equal Justice Works was founded in 1986 and established the Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program in 1993.

Since then, Equal Justice Works has placed 212 lawyers (127 Equal Justice Works Fellows and another 85 AmeriCorps Legal Fellows) at nonprofit organizations in every region of the state to assist underserved communities, causes and individuals. Upon completing their fellowships, an estimated 80 percent of these attorneys remain in public service.

Last year, Equal Justice Works’ Summer Corps program for law students included 57 students working in California, accounting for over 16 percent of the 350 total slots in the annual program.

ABOUT DIANE CHIN

Diane Chin is a highly regarded public interest attorney who has spent nearly 20 years as an advocate and educator.

Work History

• Director, Equal Justice Works/West (March 2008 – present)
• Associate Director, Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, U.C. Berkeley School of Law (2007- 2008)
• Director, Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law; Lecturer in Law, Stanford Law School (2003-2007)
• Executive Director, Chinese for Affirmative Action, San Francisco (1998-2003)
• Senior Trial Attorney, Office of Citizen Complaints, San Francisco Police Commission (1996-1998)
• Housing Attorney, Protection & Advocacy, Inc., Oakland (1995-1996)
• Adjunct Professor, New College School of Law, San Francisco (1991-1992, 1995-1996)
• Staff Attorney, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco (1990-1995)
• Staff Attorney and Skadden Fellow, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of the Boston Bar Association, Boston (1989-1990)

Education

• Juris Doctorate, Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, MA (1989)
• Bachelor of Arts, History, Mills College, Oakland, CA (1985)

Professional Affiliations and Activities

Public Advocates. Member, Board of Directors (2007-present); American Association of Law Schools. Member, Pro Bono/Public Interest Committee (2006-present); Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. Member, Board of Directors (2005); Equal Justice Works. Member, National Advisory Committee (2004-2006); American Bar Association. Vice Chair, Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section (1998-2001); Alumnae Association of Mills College. Member, Diversity Committee (1992-1997); Intergroup Clearinghouse. Board Co-chair (1993-1996); Member, Board of Directors (1991-1996); National Lawyers Guild, Bay Area Chapter. Member, Executive Committee (1994-1995); San Francisco District Attorney’s Commission on Hate Crimes. Member (1992); Bay Area Hate Crimes Investigators Association. Co-chair (1991-1993), Member (1990-1995); Supreme Court of California, U.S. District Courts of Northern and Eastern California. Active Bar Member (1991-1998), Inactive Member (1999-present); Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. Active Bar Member (1989-1991), Retired Member (1992-present).

Select Publications

Contributor, A Vision Fulfilled? The Impact of Proposition 209 on Equal Opportunity for Women Business Enterprises, Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, U.C. Berkeley School of Law, 2007.
Co-editor and contributor, Beyond the Big Firm: Profiles of Lawyers Who Want Something More, Aspen Publishers, 2007.
Power and the Civil Suit: Using Civil Remedies in the Battle Against Hate Violence, Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, Summer 1999.
Co-editor, Opportunities Lost, the State of Public Sector Affirmative Action in Post Proposition 209 California, a joint project of Chinese for Affirmative Action and Equal Rights Advocates, 1998.
Contributor, Representing Victims of Hate Violence in Civil Proceeding:, A Manual for Attorneys on the Ralph and Bane Civil Rights Acts, Fair Employment and Housing Commission, Legal Services Section of the State Bar, 1992, 1998.

Contacts: Diane Chin, Director of Equal Justice Works/West, at dchin@equaljusticeworks.org, 510-207-8102, or James Carroll, Communications Director, at jcarroll@equaljusticeworks.org, 202-466-3686 ext. 102.

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EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOWSHIPS

Equal Justice Works directs the largest postgraduate legal fellowship program in the nation, placing new lawyers in two-year assignments at nonprofit public interest organizations. The Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program creates partnerships with these host organizations, public interest lawyers, law firm/corporate sponsors and other donors in order to give underrepresented populations access to the justice system.

The Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program was launched in 1992 to address the shortage of attorneys working on behalf of underserved populations and causes in the United States. Equal Justice Works Fellows tackle such critical issues as domestic violence, homelessness, community economic development, immigration, civil rights, juvenile justice, employment rights, access to health care, consumer fraud and environmental justice. Fellowship projects improve access to the judicial system for the most vulnerable among us: children, people with disabilities, senior citizens, people with HIV/AIDS, battered women and racial and ethnic minorities.

Recognizing that many obstacles prevent committed attorneys from practicing public interest law, including the scarcity of entry-level jobs and daunting student loan debts, Equal Justice Works created these two-year Fellowships that offer a salary and generous loan repayment assistance, a national training and leadership development program, and other forms of professional development opportunities during the term of the Fellowship.

At any given time, the program supports more than 100 Fellows working in urban and rural communities around the country. Through a rigorous selection process a diverse group of Fellows is selected by the sponsors, which often are law firms, corporations or foundations.

Upon completion of the program, the majority of Equal Justice Works Fellows continue successful careers in public interest law.

Contacts: Jennifer Tschirch, Senior Program Manager, jtschirch@equaljusticeworks.org, 202-466-3686 ext. 111, or Imoni Washington, Senior Program Manager, iwashington@equaljusticeworks.org , 202-466-3686 ext. 110.

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AMERICORPS LEGAL FELLOWS

The Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps program is one of the most productive and highly regarded national service programs in the nation. This AmeriCorps program makes a lasting impact on the communities it serves by facilitating pro bono opportunities and expanding the legal resources in low-income and underserved communities.

Founded in 2003 as the Pro Bono Legal Corps, today Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps works to improve access to justice by increasing the availability of pro bono legal services. Supported by an AmeriCorps grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the program offers law graduates the opportunity to promote public service among law students and at law schools while developing their own legal and professional skills. During their 11-month fellowships, each Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow recruits 125 volunteer law students and lawyers—and the amount of tax payer dollars per client served is only $35. Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Fellows work to narrow the justice gap in many areas, including health care, public benefits, affordable housing, lost wages, protection orders and education. For example:

Veronica Gutierrez Ayesta (Public Counsel) assisted parents adopting children who have been abused or neglected and are currently in the Los Angeles County foster care system.

Jon Morgan (Montana Legal Services Association) helped low-income Native Americans to maintain tribal lands by assisting in the preparation of their wills.

Crystal Utley (Mississippi Center for Justice) recruited volunteers to serve people affected by Hurricane Katrina. For her efforts, Crystal received the highest honor given to AmeriCorps members across the country, the Spirit of Service Award.

The primary responsibility of Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows is to create quality pro bono opportunities. AmeriCorps Legal Fellows bring together volunteer law students and lawyers with community legal aid providers to expand their services and serve more clients. AmeriCorps Legal Fellows also gain hands-on experience by providing direct legal services and by developing substantive legal resources.

Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps projects are based at 18 legal service agencies around the country. Each host site has created its own project to meet the legal needs in its community. All projects require AmeriCorps Legal Fellows to collaborate with area law schools, student groups, community organizations and legal aid providers in the creation of pro bono opportunities. During the 2006-2007 term of service, the 34 Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows:

• Represented 15,642 clients on pressing legal matters;
• Facilitated 1,848 legal clinics which served over 10,857 people and provided important legal experience to hundreds of law students;
• Partnered with 354 organizations to build community infrastructure;
• Engaged 1,691 pro bono lawyers (both private firm and corporate counsel offices) in public interest work; and
• Recruited 2,663 law students to assist in providing legal services to low-income communities and make the connection between the law and public service.

Contact: Coleman McMahon, Senior Program Manager, cmcmahon@equaljusticeworks.org, 202-466-3686 ext. 120

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SUMMER CORPS

The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program engages law students around the country who are working to expand the delivery of legal services to those who need it most. Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2007 provided 350 law students with the opportunity to dedicate their summer to public service at a qualifying legal project at a nonprofit, public interest organization.

Summer Corps members provide critically needed legal assistance in low-income and underserved communities in the United States on a broad range of issue areas, including: translating legal documents for the Los Angeles Thai community, conducting research on Mississippi housing rights for survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and advocating for juvenile offenders in the New York court system to be placed in community rehabilitation programs.

The Summer Corps experience is a valuable component of a quality legal education and provides law students with a wide variety of professional experiences. Summer Corps participants:

• Serve a minimum of 300 hours at a nonprofit public interest organization;
• Earn a $1,000 AmeriCorps education award voucher upon completion of 300 hours of service that can be used to pay current educational expenses or qualified student loans;
• Gain first-hand experience and legal skills in areas such as client intake, representation, and legal research and writing; and
• Become an official member of AmeriCorps.

In 2007, 350 Summer Corps members performed over 119,824 hours of service at 233 nonprofit public service organizations in 37 states and the District of Columbia. They directly assisted 15,360 individuals and families in need of legal services and represented 121 Equal Justice Works member law schools.

Contact: Sarah Jayne Dipert, Program Coordinator, sdipert@equaljusticeworks.org, 202-466-3686 ext. 125.

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KATRINA INITIATIVE

Two years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast region Equal Justice Works Lawyers continue to provide essential legal services to thousands of people affected by the disasters. They work in some of the poorest communities in the nation and often under the most challenging conditions to advocate for those struggling to rebuild their lives and their communities.

With the assistance of a generous one million dollar matching grant from the JEHT Foundation, Equal Justice Works established the Katrina Initiative to provide direct legal services to Gulf Coast residents and generate pro bono opportunities for lawyers and law students. This program has placed lawyers and law students at nonprofit organizations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama to help the hundreds of thousands of people left without homes, jobs, access to health care and social services due to the damage from the 2005 hurricanes.

Now entering its final year, the Katrina Initiative has successfully met the challenge of providing emergency legal assistance and is now focusing on long-term goals. There is still much work to be done. The Initiative now focuses on building strong legal foundations to provide access to justice so that individuals can stabilize their lives, and eventually, communities in the Gulf Coast will thrive once again.

Katrina Legal Fellowships
Through the Katrina Initiative, Equal Justice Works established the Katrina Legal Fellowships Program to send nine experienced public interest lawyers to the Gulf Coast region for two years. Equal Justice Works Katrina Legal Fellowships provide immediate direct legal assistance for hurricane survivors; promote short- and long-term stabilization and community rebuilding efforts.

Our Katrina Legal Fellows impact lives. In the first year, the nine Katrina Legal Fellows and their volunteers assisted 7,425 hurricane survivors. The Katrina Legal Fellows also held 133 legal clinics, offered 153 presentations, recruited 780 law students and lawyers to provide pro bono legal assistance, and participated in 182 task forces or coalitions.

Through their fellowship projects, the Katrina Legal Fellows have greatly increased capacity at their host organizations to manage the unprecedented web of legal problems, bureaucratic red tape and financial disruption that resulted from the hurricanes.

Katrina Pro Bono Legal Corps
Equal Justice Works has expanded its Pro Bono Legal Corps, sending 10 Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Attorneys to the hardest-hit areas in the Gulf Coast region. Working in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, these members are implementing projects to recruit hundreds of law students and lawyers to provide essential disaster-related legal services to hurricane survivors.

The 10 Katrina AmeriCorps Attorneys and their volunteers impact lives. They have assisted 3,572 hurricane survivors in the first year. Katrina AmeriCorps Attorneys held 161 legal clinics, offered 47 presentations, recruited 770 law students and lawyers to provide pro bono legal assistance, and participated in 144 task forces or coalitions.

The Katrina Pro Bono Legal Corps has received national recognition. In July 2007 Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Attorney Crystal Utley was presented with the Spirit of Service Award from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Ms. Utley was selected from among 75,000 AmeriCorps members serving throughout the country for her service at the Mississippi Center for Justice in Jackson where she manages pro bono opportunities for lawyers and law students.

Katrina Summer Corps
In response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Equal Justice Works dedicated 65 Summer Corps positions for law students to form the Katrina Summer Corps in 2006. Katrina Summer Corps members dedicated their summer to assist hurricane survivors and evacuees in the Gulf coast region.

Katrina Summer Corps members impact lives. In 2006, the 65 Katrina Summer Corps members helped 2,991 hurricane survivors and worked with 175 organizations on community education presentations and outreach publications. Due to the overwhelming success of the Katrina Summer Corps, Equal Justice Works continues to encourage and support projects that focus on needs related to the Gulf coast disasters of 2005.

Contact: Cait Clarke, Director of Public Interest Law Opportunities, cclarke@equaljusticeworks.org , 202-466-3686 ext. 132.

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LAW SCHOOL ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH

Law schools comprise a vital and dynamic constituency of Equal Justice Works. As part of our mission to mobilize the next generation of lawyers committed to public service, we recognize that the message of public interest has to be inculcated early and encouraged throughout the law school experience. We also realize that most of our law school partners need resources and assistance to augment their own in order to reach a broader spectrum of the law school community.

Membership
Over 196 law schools across the country are members of Equal Justice Works. We offer a variety of services to our member schools, and provide several membership benefits. With our membership structure based on a tier system, many law schools are eligible for school visits by national staff, Fellows or alumni on topics such as launching a public interest career; opportunities in public interest law; issues relating to law school debt; etc. Students and alumni from member schools are eligible to apply for Fellowships, Pro Bono Legal Corps and Summer Corps positions, all programs administered by Equal Justice Works. In addition, students and law school professionals are eligible for our annual Awards Program which recognizes the service and achievements of a law school dean, a law school professional or faculty, and a student or student project. The National Advisory Committee comprised of 10 students and 10 law school administrators, advise us on law school issues and trends that inform our programming. All of our member schools are invited to attend the annual Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair.

Conference and Career Fair
Annually, Equal Justice Works holds a Conference and Career Fair that attracts over 1,000 law students and lawyers committed to public service and public interest law. The nation’s largest public interest law career fair, we host approximately150 employers providing over 1000 summer and post-graduate career options with leading nonprofit organizations, as well as select government agencies. This event gives employers an opportunity to recruit some of the most talented law students in the country.

At our conference, we provide programming that inspires these new lawyers to continue their activism and become leaders on their campuses and in their community. Our programs feature a mix of presentations, discussion groups and leaders meetings. These forums have incubated several student initiatives, including some with nationwide appeal.

The E-Guide to Public Service at America’s Law Schools
The E-Guide (http://ejw.newsweek.com) is a free online resource database for law school applicants, students, faculty, administrators and others seeking information on public interest and public service programs available in law schools in the U.S. Published annually, The E-Guide is the product of a unique collaboration between Equal Justice Works, participating law schools, and Newsweek.com. The E-Guide supplies extensive data on the availability of clinical and externship programs, law school financial considerations and debt-relief, and public service programs. Eschewing a ranking format in order to promote a more informed and sophisticated consumer, The E-Guide allows users to evaluate individual schools or easily compare schools based on the criteria most relevant to them.

The first edition of The E-Guide was launched in August 2006 and became a resource of choice for thousands of prospective law students, law school faculty and staff, and lawyers. The 2007-2008 E-Guide (2nd Edition) builds on that success with more participating schools and improved search functionality.

Law School Debt
Equal Justice Works has been in the forefront and a leading advocate for the creation and expansion of loan repayment assistance programs on law school campuses. Partly as a result of our work over more than a decade, more than 100 schools now have some form of loan repayment assistance available to their students. We provide consultations to law school administrators and students on issues pertaining to these programs. We also partner with several national organizations working on these issues. Recently, we were a key partner active within the law school community that coordinated the successful passage of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, and have been providing technical assistance to a large number of law schools through in-person consultations, conference presentations, and the publication of information relating to the legislation’s current provisions.

Contact: Kashyap Choksi, Director of Law School Advocacy and Outreach, at kchoksi@equaljusticeworks.org, 202-466-3686 ext. 106.

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CONFERENCE AND CAREER FAIR

Each year Equal Justice Works hosts the legal profession’s largest national public service job fair at its Conference and Career Fair. The event typically attracts more than 1,000 law students and graduates, as well as more than 150 public interest employers—national nonprofit organizations, public defenders, legal aid offices and federal government agencies—seeking to fill internships, fellowships and staff positions in public interest law. The 2008 Conference and Career Fair is Friday and Saturday, October 10-11, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. The conference will feature several tracks for students and recent graduates on the theme: “Idealism Revisited: Forty years after King and Kennedy,” which will examine how the social and political climate of 1968 is mirrored 40 years later. Featured events this year include:

• Annual law school awards luncheon on Friday, October 10 to honor students and faculty in the law school community who serve as role models of public service;
• A special employer briefing on the College Cost Reduction and Access Act and how this act can effect recruitment and retention in the public sector; and
• Workshops and supplemental discussion groups on timely topics.

In 2007, our Career Fair attracted 162 employers offering over 1,800 full-time and part-time opportunities. Over 1,100 law students and graduates attended our events to interview and attend workshops on topics such as marriage equality, community lawyering, international public interest law and campus advocacy.

Contact: Ericka Hines, Program Manager, Training and Evaluation, ehines@equaljusticeworks.org, 202-466-3686 ext. 134.

Additional Resources: Registration information, a schedule of events, a list of participating employers and other information on the 2008 Conference and Career Fair will be available on the Equal Justice Works website at www.equaljusticeworks.org/events/cf/conference in late spring.

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