November 4, 2024

Grantee Partner Spotlight: Equal Justice Works

by Verna Williams

The Ms. Foundation is proud to support our grantee partners, who are at the forefront of organizing and creating solutions that improve people’s lives and bring us closer to achieving a true democracy. The insight and perspective they provide is invaluable. The Q&A below was generated by Equal Justice Works CEO Verna Williams.

Equal Justice Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service. As the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, Equal Justice Works brings together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, nonprofit legal aid organizations, and supporters to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice. Equal Justice Works was a FY24 Building Connections grantee partner. 

What brought you to this work? 

At Equal Justice Works (EJW), we connect passionate lawyers with legal service organizations to kickstart careers in public interest law and instill a long-term commitment to a career in public service. That strategy helps build and maintain a pipeline of new and prospective lawyers who are vital to help address the myriad needs of people living in poverty, the vast majority of whom don’t get the legal help they need. Having worked in the public interest sector before becoming an academic, I was aware of EJW’s record and inspired by its mission. I saw the chance to lead EJW as a rare opportunity to marshal all the professional experiences and skills that I’ve developed thus far to help achieve our organization’s vision of equal justice for all.

How do you connect/collaborate in your community? Who are your key partners? 

Collaboration is our superpower. Since our founding almost 40 years ago, we have fielded over 2,700 Fellows, the majority of whom remain in the public interest space. That accomplishment is possible thanks to our vast and diverse network. Corporations and law firms sponsor projects, and in many cases, provide pro bono assistance. Host organizations help Fellows develop projects that will fill unmet needs. With our law school partners, we learn how best to work with students, identifying barriers to public interest law. In addition, we are a trusted resource for schools’ efforts to advise students about public interest careers. With 92% of legal needs going unmet for people living in poverty, we partner with other national organizations, such as the Legal Services Corporation and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, to develop strategies for change. Finally, we’ve begun connecting with researchers to grow our impact in this area to raise public awareness about the important role lawyers play protecting democracy and promoting justice.

 What are you learning or what are you teaching?

Without a lawyer, a person in this country could lose their home, lose custody of their children, or be denied important benefits they’ve earned by serving in the military. The American Bar Association recently reported that less than 1% of all the lawyers in the U.S. are paid legal aid attorneys, which translates into millions of people not getting help at crucial times in their lives. I’m learning about new strategies to address this problem – specifically, enlisting “community justice workers” to handle certain matters that don’t require attorneys, which is a path we may seek to add to our program. And, with the Law School Survey of Student Engagement, we’ll share the results of research about students’ perceptions of public interest resources.  

Tell us about a recent victory or something you’re proud of. 

I’m particularly proud that this year we were able to launch a new cohort program to address the legal consequences of the opioid crisis. The program will provide intensive education on opioid crisis-related issues to a cohort of early career lawyers who will provide free legal representation to low-income individuals and families affected by the opioid and overdose crisis. 

The best part of this program is that it stemmed from the work of two Fellows. As an EJW Fellow in 2019, Brendan Wood worked with Legal Aid of West Virginia to remove legal barriers for those recovering from substance use disorder through advocating for fair access to employment, housing, and economic stability.

The work Brendan initiated continued with another EJW Fellow Emily Neely, who provided mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution in West Virginia to low-income families impacted by the opioid epidemic. Brendan and Emily, in partnership with their communities, have made huge strides in supporting recovery in West Virginia. And it’s thanks in part to their work laying the legal framework, as well as building awareness and understanding of this crisis that this year, we received $1.4 million from the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts to mobilize this work in Ohio and Kentucky with six Fellows to serve communities navigating the opioid crisis.  

What can philanthropy do better and/or how can individuals be helpful allies?

The lack of legal assistance available when people need it is harmful to our democracy, engenders disrespect for the legal system, and jeopardizes the rule of law. Moreover, with voting rights, reproductive freedoms, and educational equity under attack, increasing the number of public interest lawyers is even more critical. People seeking legal counsel also deserve to see themselves in their attorneys. For too many young people of color, student loan debt dissuades them from pursuing law school or public interest careers, depriving their communities of lawyers with similar lived experiences, and our nation of wisdom to solve our most pressing problems. Representation matters in so many ways, and investing in public interest law would benefit the communities served and society as a whole.

What gives you hope?

Without question, our Fellows and alums. Their commitment to justice and “fresh rage” (to quote our partner and UnCommon Law Executive Director Keith Wattley) inspire me. I know our future is in good hands.