Equal Justice Works, which leads the nation in creating and supporting public service opportunities for law students and new lawyers, has a long history of receiving cy pres awards.

The term cy pres refers to a court-ordered award to a charitable organization of the excess, unallocated, unclaimed or undeliverable funds in a class-action judgment or settlement, or actions in which funds set aside for reimbursement cannot be distributed due to manageability concerns.

Equal Justice Works, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, is an appropriate recipient for cy pres awards. Equal Justice Works programs are designed to have a substantial impact on the communities they serve. They improve access to justice for the poor and disenfranchised providing services and creating programs and resources that did not exist before, or developing model approaches that can be replicated elsewhere.

Cy pres revenue has varied from year to year. In 1991, Equal Justice Works received $3.1 million from two cy pres awards.

Use of Cy Pres Awards A substantial cy pres award in 1991 played a key role in launching Equal Justice Works Fellowships, now the largest postgraduate legal fellowship program in the United States, awarding 50 or more two-year fellowships each year. Other awards had geographic or issue-area restrictions. Some were totally unrestricted.

Impact on the Community Equal Justice Works brings justice to thousands of people who might otherwise be denied their rights, not only significantly bridging the justice gap for low-income clients whose legal needs are addressed, but instilling in our program participants a lifelong commitment to volunteerism and community service.

For more information, contact David Stern, Chief Executive Officer, Equal Justice Works at (202) 466-3686 ext. 118.