news release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 4, 2008

CONTACT:
James Carroll
(202) 466-3686 ext. 102 		jcarroll@equaljusticeworks.org
www.equaljusticeworks.org
CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
RENEWS EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS GRANT
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has awarded its sixth AmeriCorps grant to Equal Justice Works to fund the Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps and Summer Corps programs for 2008-2009.

This year, Equal Justice Works will place 36 AmeriCorps Legal Fellows at 18 host organizations and 350 Summer Corps members in various organizations throughout the United States. The grant, which totals approximately $1.1 million, sets the total budget for these Equal Justice Works programs at $2.3 million.

The renewal of the grant will allow Equal Justice Works to continue strengthening and building two of its key programs. Last year, Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows recruited an average of 128 volunteers apiece. Summer Corps members, AmeriCorps Fellows and their volunteers provided legal advice or representation to 31,002 people—at an average federal cost of $35 per person served. “Given the cost of legal services in this country, this is an impressive accomplishment on the part of our attorneys,” said Cait Clarke, Director of Public Interest Law Opportunities at Equal Justice Works.

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. 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. Summer Corps members provide critically needed legal assistance in low-income and underserved communities. AmeriCorps Legal Fellows and Summer Corps members work to narrow the justice gap in many areas, including health care, public benefits, affordable housing, lost wages, protection orders and education.

For more information on Equal Justice Works programs, visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/programs. For a state-by-state, point-and-click map and roster of current Summer Corps and AmeriCorps participants, visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/usmap.

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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 advocating for more public interest programming at law schools. For more information, visit www.equaljusticeworks.org.

EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS | 2120 L Street, NW | Suite 450 | Washington, DC 20037
tel: (202) 466-3686 | fax: (202) 429-9766 | www.equaljusticeworks.org