Jumpstarting Lasting Careers in Public Interest Law
In 1986, a group of law students sought out to provide legal assistance to poor and other vulnerable populations. Through this, Equal Justice Works was born. Equal Justice Works brings together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, legal services organizations, and supporters to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice.
At the core of Equal Justice Work’s mission is their fellowship program. Each year, fellows across the country work to address a wide range of unmet legal needs and work to ensure access to justice for underserved communities. Today, their fellowship network consists of over 300 fellows.
ORG in Action SpotLight: Equal Justice Works
Whether you’re a first-year law student or a recent graduate, Equal Justice Works offers a variety of Fellowships and other opportunities to jumpstart your public interest law career. On average 85% of EJW Fellows remain in public service following their Fellowship, with many leveraging connections made and skills gained during their Fellowship throughout their career.
Equal Justice Works also understands the financial barrier that law school can be to aspiring and practicing lawyers. As a result, they help educate law students and lawyers about resources to manage their student loan debt and advocate for loan repayment assistance programs. This also leads to a jumpstart in lasting law careers, CEO Verna Williams says, “on average, 85% of Equal Justice Works Fellows remain in public service following their Fellowship.”
Brook Hill, an Equal Justice Works Fellow from 2016-2018, has continued to be a lawyer in public service. During his time as a Fellow, Hill represented tenants living in properties that were timing out of subsidy in Washington, D.C. His work helped preserve affordable housing and ensured compliance with fair housing laws. Hill says, “Equal Justice Works was a great stepping stone for me to get into public service. It allowed me to do hands-on work that truly mattered.”
Equal Justice Works Fellows continue to make an impact on underserved communities. Sabrina Talukder, 2014-2016 Fellow, represented non-citizen survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking who have criminal convictions in their immigration matters. Talukder states, “I identified 29 non-citizen survivors in Riker’s Island Correctional Facility who would have otherwise remained invisible in the criminal justice system.” Talukder maintained a sustainable partnership with Riker’s Island Correctional Facility and continued to maintain a relationship with their community to ensure they would have resources for legal services.
“Equal Justice Works is a leader in the movement to close the access to justice gap,” notes Verna Williams. Equal Justice Works goes above and beyond to reach a variety of communities, from helping address the access-to-justice crisis for people in rural areas to providing comprehensive legal services before, during, and after a disaster, and more.
Whether you’re a first-year law student or a recent graduate, Equal Justice Works offers a variety of Fellowships and other opportunities to jumpstart your public interest law career. If you’re interested in getting involved with this impactful organization, check out www.equaljusticeworks.org.
Learn more about Equal Justice Works by visiting www.equaljusticeworks.org.
