news release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 8, 2009

CONTACT:
Aaron Pickering
(202) 466-3686 ext. 137 		apickering@equaljusticeworks.org
www.equaljusticeworks.org
RECOVERY ACT GRANT PUTS ATTORNEYS ON FRONTLINES OF ECONOMIC CRISIS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has awarded a $1.2 million stimulus grant to Equal Justice Works under the Recovery Act to place 30 AmeriCorps Recovery Fellows across the country to provide legal assistance to victims of foreclosures and to others facing financial challenges as a result of the recession.

CNCS has also renewed the current Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps programs. The renewal and expansion will double Equal Justice Works’ federal funding for the year; increase the number of Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows from 36 to 66; and bring Summer Corps membership to 1,000 for the summers of 2009 and 2010. The grant also makes Equal Justice Works one of the first recipients of stimulus funds to have members in the field.

Economic recovery has already begun, with about 80 Summer Corps law students working on Recovery Act-related issues, including Alison Nussear from West Virginia University College of Law. Ms. Nussear is serving at Mountain State Justice in West Virginia helping victims of predatory lending practices and families facing home foreclosures.

“With families losing their homes and struggling financially, it is more important than ever for them to receive legal assistance. These grants will help Equal Justice Works put legal assistance within reach in communities hardest hit by the recession,” said Equal Justice Works Chief Executive Officer David Stern.

Equal Justice Works partnered with the Institute for Foreclosure Legal Assistance and the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation to raise matching funds for lawyers and law students to serve with nonprofit organizations in five states. These attorneys and students will fight predatory lending abuses; defend against foreclosure proceedings commenced in court; negotiate or obtain stays of impending foreclosure; and more.

“The work of AmeriCorps Legal Fellows and Summer Corps members will keep homeowners – and, in some cases, renters – in their homes. This grant means that there’s hope for people facing foreclosure,” said Cole McMahon, Senior Program Manager for Equal Justice Works.

For a map of where Summer Corps members and AmeriCorps Legal Fellows are already serving, visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/usmap. The new class of AmeriCorps Legal Fellows will be selected by the end of September. Visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/programs/americorps for a list of current openings or to apply.

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Equal Justice Works, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1986 by law students dedicated to working for equal justice on behalf of underserved communities and causes. Today, Equal Justice Works is the national leader in creating summer and postgraduate public interest opportunities for law students and lawyers as well as in urging more public interest programming at law schools. For more information, visit www.equaljusticeworks.org.

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