Rising to the Challenge
The mission of Equal Justice Works is to create a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice. For nearly 25 years, Equal Justice Works has collaborated with the nation’s leading law firms, corporate legal departments, bar foundations, law schools and nonprofit organizations to provide the training and opportunities that enable attorneys to provide effective representation to vulnerable populations. • We help laws schools establish and strengthen public interest programs. • We provide public service work experience, professional development and training for students and lawyers. • We build strong support in the legal profession for public service through pro bono work and financial support. • We work to reduce the educational debt barriers to public service through outreach and advocacy.
On the cover:
Contents
Adetunji Olude
1
Year in Review
7
Financial Position and Activities
8
Sponsors and Fellows
Equal Justice Works Fellow Sponsored by Latham & Watkins LLP Hosted by Housing and Economic Rights Advocates Oakland, California
Immigrants suffer a higher rate of abusive mortgage practices due to language and cultural barriers. Adetunji Olude is helping immigrant families in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California stay in their homes by identifying violations of consumer protection laws and advocating for loan modification. What motivates her? “I am happy to use my law degree to do something so meaningful. A lot of my clients thank me profusely for my help. I used to say ‘De nada’ (it’s nothing). Now I say ‘I’m happy to be in the position to help you.’”
11 Corporation for National and Community Service 13 Institutional Supporters 15 Individual Supporters 17 Board of Directors and National Advisory Committee
In order to protect the identity of individual clients, some photography in this document is stock photography representative of client situations, not actual clients.
2009 ANNUAL REPORT | 1
Dear Friend of Equal Justice Works, The past year was challenging for the nation and for the legal profession. The economy continued downward, unemployment rose, and the legal needs of marginalized people grew as funding for legal aid declined dramatically, leaving fewer lawyers to address the increasing demand. Meanwhile, law firms deferred the starting dates for new associates and laid off thousands of lawyers. While too early to say whether the profession is undergoing permanent transformation, there is no question the changes we witnessed in 2009 will impact public interest practice opportunities and legal education. Equal Justice Works was smack in the middle of these phenomena. We saw an increased desire among new lawyers to engage in public interest work, but fewer private firms and corporations providing support for fellowships. In terms of demand, in 2009 we received a record number of applications for Equal Justice Works Fellowships. Some might think that this is a result of the tightening legal market, but in reading their applications, we can tell you that these are not just people in search of a job – they are committed to public interest law and redressing serious injustices. This bumper crop of applicants is consistent with all of the data showing an increased desire among today’s young people to engage in public service. One big win in 2009 was the one-year funding we received under the Recovery Act to place 30 AmeriCorps lawyers and 59 law students to work on behalf of people in economic distress, especially those facing foreclosure. Overall, the loss of five privately funded fellowships was more than offset by the thirty new fellowships created under the Recovery Act. Looking ahead to 2010, our challenge is to manage existing programs while remaining nimble and able to seize new opportunities. We have been laying the foundation for a new fellowship program modeled after Teach for America that would send high quality lawyers to work for three years as public defenders in under-served communities. This year we also aim to expand our AmeriCorps program to include an initiative focused on homeless veterans. In the midst of all the change, one thing remains unchanged: Our resolve to create a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to justice. On behalf of the Equal Justice Works Board of Directors and staff, we thank you for your continued interest and support.
David Stern
Executive Director
Allen Waxman
Chair of the Board of Directors
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The Appalachian Research and Defense Fund helps some of Kentucky’s poorest citizens obtain the basic necessities of life – food, health care, and safe, sanitary housing. As an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow, Ben Long represents Kentuckians facing home foreclosure, often as a result of unfair lending practices. In his first two months, Ben negotiated favorable loan modifications for five clients, including a client whose home was saved from foreclosure when Ben identified several Truth-inLending violations, and an elderly woman who was the victim of a predatory loan.
Ben Long
AmeriCorps Legal Fellow Hosted by Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of KY, Inc. Richmond, KY
2009 ANNUAL REPORT | 3
Putting lawyers where the needs are greatest In 2009, the country was faced with a serious economic crisis. Unemployment was the highest it had been in decades. People’s financial problems quickly led to legal problems as thousands of families faced foreclosure. At the same time, nonprofit and legal aid organizations hit with financial cuts and staff reductions struggled to meet the growing demand. It is during challenging times like these that Equal Justice Works is needed most. Sixteen years ago, Equal Justice Works received its first grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to fund a fellowship program to improve access to justice for low-income and underserved communities. The Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellowship program has since become one of the most productive and highly regarded service programs in the nation. For the 2009 service year, we received a record 1,421 applications for 36 fellowships. During their 11 months of service, these Fellows recruited a record 3,543 volunteers and held 1,030 legal clinics around the country, providing legal information and assistance to low-income clients. Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program is another AmeriCorps program that provides law students with the opportunity to dedicate their summer to public service at qualifying nonprofit and public interest legal organizations. This year, 373 members provided crucial legal assistance to communities in 42 states, directly assisting more than 18,000 individuals and families in need of legal services. This year, Equal Justice Works received a grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, allowing us to immediately deploy 30 more Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows and 59 Summer Corps members to provide legal assistance to those facing financial challenges due to the recession. In just six months, these lawyers and law students: provided 1,899 individuals with home foreclosure and housing assistance services; prevented 76 foreclosures and helped 566 people remain in their homes while negotiations were pending; enrolled 92 clients in health insurance and benefits programs; and transitioned 12 homeless individuals into affordable housing.
36 AmeriCorps Legal Fellows and their volunteers provided legal advice and representation to 27,983 people at an average cost of $43 per person served.
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For an immigrant woman whose every move is controlled by an abusive spouse, the prospect of finding the resources to leave are slim. At the Head Start Legal Clinic in Chicago, Equal Justice Works Fellow Maria Citino’s typical clients are young, Latina mothers who have no one else to turn to for help. “A client came to me because her husband had violated a protection order. She was depressed, and had pulled her son out of school because she couldn’t get him there. I was able to help her find an apartment, provide her with job search resources, and offer additional support services. Successes like this keep me motivated.” Maria Citino
Equal Justice Works Fellow Sponsored by Greenberg Traurig Fellowship Foundation Hosted by Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago Chicago, IL
2009 ANNUAL REPORT | 5
The Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program is the largest postgraduate legal fellowship program in the nation. In 2009, 155 Equal Justice Works Fellows worked at 124 nonprofits around the country on behalf of underserved populations and causes. These entrepreneurial public interest lawyers design their two-year projects in conjunction with nonprofits that have an intimate knowledge of the most critical needs of the communities they serve. Working on issues ranging from homelessness and community economic development to immigration, juvenile justice and access to health care, this innovative, community-based model ensures that our Fellows are serving the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities.
Growing Tide of People Willing to Serve On law school campuses around the country there has been a growing movement to serve the public interest. To help foster those values, we collaborate with law schools to develop their public interest programs and opportunities, not just for students already committed to public interest careers, but for all students. In October, we launched the re-designed and updated Equal Justice Works Guide to Law Schools, a free, interactive online resource that describes, in rich detail, public service opportunities, curricula and financial programs at more than 150 law schools in the U.S. Offering an alternative to traditional rankings, The Guide is structured so that schools can highlight their clinics, externships, career services, affordability and financial aid, and public service programs. The Guide’s strength is that it allows users to view law schools based on their individual interests and to choose
“Public interest law is a career path that needs preparation and training unique to that career path, just as a tax lawyer needs unique training. It is the role of law schools to prepare students for their careers, but we can do so only with the help of organizations like Equal Justice Works, that help find our students worthwhile opportunities to further their training and career goals both during and after law school.” Larry Kramer, Richard E. Lang Professor of Law and Dean Stanford Law School and 2009 recipient of the Equal Justice Works John R. Kramer Oustanding Law School Dean Award
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Growth of Awarded Fellowships Summer Corps Members Equal Justice Works Fellows AmeriCorps Fellows
which school best fits those criteria. In the first three months after its launch, more than 15,000 individuals had consulted the site. Our annual Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair attracted nearly 1,000 students and lawyers exploring career options with leading nonprofit organizations as well as federal government agencies. The event included skillbuilding and career advising sessions with experts from around the country, workshops on effective public interest organizing strategies and interview opportunities for both summer and permanent positions. Reflecting the economy and its impact on the legal profession, the event attracted a number of deferred and laid off law firm associates seeking opportunities to use their skills to bridge the justice gap.
Reducing the Educational Debt Barriers to Public Service The increasingly high cost of education and the burden of years of loan repayments have prevented many from considering jobs in public service. In July 2009, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) became fully effective, promising to help thousands cope with student debt. This new law enables graduates to pay back their debt
as a percentage of their income, and provides debt forgiveness for people who work for 10 years in nonprofit or government service. The result will be an exponential increase in the number of students who can make public service a viable career option. Equal Justice Works has taken a leadership role in educating students and their advisors on the provisions of the CCRAA by dramatically increasing our outreach and counseling work. In 2009, we offered 20 free student debt relief webinars that were attended by more than 3,300 individuals. Our staff presented workshops at 10 national conferences, and conducted 15 regional trainings for law students, financial aid administrators and public interest advisors, reaching more than 2,500 students from 56 law schools, and hundreds of public interest lawyers. We also developed a free online resource center that provides a comprehensive overview of the CCRAA provisions as well as practical debt-relief tools such as check lists and calculators, podcasts, and a forum where commonly asked questions are answered. Since introducing the resource in mid-March, more than 30,000 unique visitors have consulted the site.
2009 ANNUAL REPORT | 7
Financial Position and Activities Year ended June 30, 2009
2009
2008
Cash and Cash Equivalents
$1,190,515
$1,165,589
Grants and Pledges Receivable
2,623,488
3,138,358
Accrued Interest Receivable
19,723
33,486
Prepaid Expenses
98,483
150,971
Assets Current Assets
Other Current Assets
28,747
4,991
Total Current Assets
3,960,956
4,493,395
Investments
6,636,167
8,142,242
Property and Equipment, Net Deposits
158,678 6,060
182,727 30,250
Total Assets
$10,761,861
$12,848,614
Accounts Payable & Accrued Expenses
$237,033
$222,894
Accrued Salaries and Benefits
215,477
211,687
Refundable Advances and Sponsorships
739,725
1,007,500
Liabilities and Net Assets Current Liabilities
Other Liabilities
151,632
182,238
Total Liabilities
1,343,867
1,624,319
Undesignated
4,900,589
5,364,385
Designated Total Unrestricted
81,819 4,982,408
1,593,223 6,957,608 3,801,780
Net Assets Unrestricted:
Temporarily Restricted
3,970,679
Permanently Restricted
464,907
464,907
Total Net Assets
9,417,994
11,224,295
Total Liabilities and Net Assets
$10,761,861
$12,848,614
$2,288,073
Undesignated Revenue Law Firms
$2,306,600
Bar Associations
356,500
397,500
Foundations
1,005,000
1,170,000
Corporations
366,500
276,000
Other Grants
1,200,000
1,686,633
Federal Grants
1,159,389
1,215,677
Annual Dinner and Events
1,821,060
1,837,083
Membership and Dues
322,175
269,500
Individuals & Other Income Designated Net Assets Used to Fund Expenses
388,905 650,000
300,928 650,000
Total Undesignated Revenue
$9,576,129
$10,091,394
Expenses Fellowships Program
$5,563,341
$5,000,318
AmeriCorps Program
1,280,225
1,125,038
Katrina Project
66,428
572,181
Law School
967,161
762,454
Fundraising
987,511
890,284
Communications Management and General
265,436 909,825
366,490 801,106
Total Expenses
$10,039,927
$9,517,871
Change in Undesignated Net Assets
($463,796)
$573,523
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Sponsors and Fellows Each year, law firms, corporations and private foundations generously sponsor Equal Justice Works Fellows who work on the frontlines of public interest law in the areas of domestic violence, homelessness, community economic development, immigration, civil rights, juvenile justice, employment rights, access to health care, consumer fraud, environmental justice and other critical issues. Sponsors in 2009 included: Key Sponsor Fellow Host Organization AIG Alexis Kuznick Urban Justice Center Nicole Prenoveau Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch American Gateways Theodore Roethke Asian Law Caucus Jessa Wilcox The Legal Aid Society ALM Maria Hernandez South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. Sandy Mayson Orleans Public Defenders Erin Shea McCann Columbia Legal Services Arnold & Porter Foundation Gillian Chadwick Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc. Talia Inlender Public Counsel Natalie Nanasi Tahirih Justice Center Association of Corporate Counsel Neerav Kingsland New Schools for New Orleans Baker & McKenzie Jackie Bliss Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition Patricia Freshwater Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc. Sam Tepperman-Gelfant Public Advocates, Inc. Bill Brockett Public Interest Fellowship Kristin Wenstrom Innocence Project New Orleans Bingham McCutchen LLP Sharon Balmer Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Linnea Forsythe Bay Area Legal Aid Eunice C. Lee ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project Kathryn Scheinberg Center for Children’s Advocacy, Inc. Jennifer Stark ACLU of Southern California Bruce J. Ennis Foundation Emma Llanso Center for Democracy & Technology Jeffrey Pearlman Public Knowledge The Chicago Bar Foundation Jarrett Knox Legal Aid Bureau Nora Phillips Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago CIGNA Foundation Jessa Barnard Law Foundation of Silicon Valley Cobb Cole Shelly Campbell Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, Inc.
Equal Justice Works Fellow Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch (third from left) at the 2009 Awards Dinner Reception with other guests.
Contra Costa County Bar Association Raegan Joern Rubicon Programs Inc. Samantha Sepehr John F. Kennedy University Elder Law Clinic Crowell & Moring Foundation Kaitlin Dunne ACLU of the National Capital Area Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Heidi Altman Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem DLA Piper Michelle Mendez Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington Family of Hyman Edelman Luke Grundman Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis Emily Teplin Minnesota Disability Law Center Fannie Mae Marie Bedford Legal Aid and Defender Association, Inc. Andrew Canter Mississippi Center for Justice Bethany Li Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund Morgan Williams Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center Fenwick & West LLP Nina Farnia Impact Fund Greta Hansen ACLU of Northern California FJC, A Foundation of Donor Advised Funds Edward De Barbieri Urban Justice Center The Florida Bar Leisa Morrill-Wintz Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida Ariel Patterson Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. Peterson St. Phillipe Gulfcoast Legal Services, Inc.
2009 ANNUAL REPORT | 9
The Florida Bar Foundation Mariam Ahmedani Gulfcoast Legal Services, Inc. Shelly Campbell Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, Inc. Laura Chilcutt Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center Katy DeBriere Florida Institutional Legal Services Ericka Garcia Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc. Steckley L. Lee Florida Institutional Legal Services Leisa Morrill-Wintz Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida Ariel Patterson Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. Kevin Probst Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. Peterson St. Phillipe Gulfcoast Legal Services, Inc.
Hewlett-Packard Company Parisa Fatehi Public Advocates, Inc.
Ford & Harrison LLP Stephen Reba Barton Juvenile Defender Clinic Aisha C. Saeed Georgia State University College of Law
Kaye Scholer LLP Natasha Merle Gulf Region Advocacy Center Elizabeth Tossell The Children’s Law Center
Friends & Family of Philip M. Stern Elizabeth Cumming Capital Appeals Project Caroline Hsu The Legal Aid Society
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP Edward De Barbieri Urban Justice Center
Greenberg Traurig Fellowship Foundation Mariam Ahmedani Gulfcoast Legal Services, Inc. Marissa Band Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. Edget Betru Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Inc. Flore Blaise Williams Sanctuary for Families Heidi Boas Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington Sarah Bookbinder Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Dalia Castillo-Granados Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston - Houston Alana Chazan Bay Area Legal Aid Laura Chilcutt Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center Maria Citino Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago Abbi Coursolle Western Center on Law and Poverty Remy De La Peza Public Counsel Marissa Dodson Georgia Justice Project Anya Emerson New York Legal Assistance Group Glinnesa Gailliard Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Inc. Rachel Garland Community Legal Services of Philadelphia Dennis Hsieh Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County Jennifer Levin The Legal Center Jennifer Luczkowiak Law Foundation of Silicon Valley Lauren S. Michaels Education Law Center, Inc. Ambika Panday Greater Boston Legal Services Olga Porven University of Miami School of Law Center for Ethics and Public Service Amy Reichbach ACLU of Massachusetts Diana Reiter South Brooklyn Legal Services Amy Roehl MFY Legal Services, Inc. Andrea Saenz Political Asylum/ Immigration Representation Project (PAIR) Margaret Wakelin Equip for Equality
Jenner & Block LLP Jessa Barnard Law Foundation of Silicon Valley John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Laura Chilcutt Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center Dennis Hsieh Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County Leah Jensen Community Legal Aid Services Laura Sminchak Ohio State Legal Services Association Johnson & Johnson Seth Cohen New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Latham & Watkins LLP Elizabeth Fischer Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem Silvana Naguib Equip for Equality Adetunji Olude Housing and Economic Rights Advocates Leonard, Street and Deinard Luke Grundman Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis Emily Teplin Minnesota Disability Law Center McDermott Will & Emery Rachael Gardiner Legal Services for Children Randi Levine Advocates for Children of New York Lia Monahon Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts, Inc. Microsoft Corporation Mike Peters Northwest Immigrant Rights Project Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Parisa Fatehi Public Advocates, Inc. Morgan Miller Blair Cassandra Lopez Centro Legal de la Raza
“As an attorney with a disability representing clients with disabilities, it has been truly moving to hear the joy in clients’ voices when barriers to access are removed. Whether it’s creating a ramp for someone in a wheelchair or accessible phone equipment for someone who is deaf, these concrete changes make me realize that together my clients and I can make a difference in a world that is still largely inaccessible.” Equal Justice Works Fellow Koert Wehberg New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, New York, NY
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Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Foundation Sienna Baskin Urban Justice Center Koert Wehberg New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. Carmen O’Halloran Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis Atlee Reilly Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services Seattle University School of Law Erin Shea McCann Columbia Legal Services The Sher Family Foundation Margaret Kwoka Public Citizen Litigation Group Equal Justice Works Fellow Marissa Dodson (left) and Stephanie Baucus of the U.S. Department of Justice at the 2009 Awards Dinner Reception.
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation Emily Berger Alliance for Children’s Rights Courtney Bolin Nash Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. Kathryn Brown Public Counsel Laura Daly Lawyers for Children Kristin Link Legal Services of Northern California Alexis A. McLeod Public Law Center Fiza Quraishi National Center for Youth Law Alice Rosenthal Advocates for Children of New York Hayley Upshaw Legal Services for Children Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP Sara Pezeshkpour Kunkel Housing Rights Center Maria Palomares Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County Meliah Schultzman National Housing Law Project Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation Elizabeth Grieser Ohio State Legal Services Association Kristen Henry Equal Justice Foundation Leah Jensen Community Legal Aid Services Melissa Lindsay Ohio State Legal Services Association Joshua Murnen Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. Andrew Neuhauser Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. Abigail Pound Pro Seniors, Inc. Katherine Rogers The Legal Aid Society of Columbus Ashley Saltzman The Legal Aid Society of Columbus Laura Sminchak Ohio State Legal Services Association Virginia Tallent Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio Elizabeth Tull Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio Kari White Legal Aid Society of Cleveland Caitlin Williams Community Refugee & Immigration Services, Inc. Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP Seth Cohen New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Pfizer Inc Cristina Dacchille Medical-Legal Partnership | Boston Zoe Paolantonio Northeastern University Domestic Violence Institute Shana Platz New York Legal Assistance Group Erica Pun Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County Rosanna Roizin Center for Family Representation, Inc. Kendra Thomas Advocacy, Inc.
Steptoe & Johnson LLP Lynsay Gott World Organization for Human Rights USA Christina Nguyen Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Alexis Kuznick Urban Justice Center Nicole Prenoveau Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A Sutherland Stacy Braverman Bread for the City Rebeca Ellen Salmon Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Inc. Texas Access to Justice Foundation Jessica Alas Montgomery County Women’s Center Sarah Bellinger Advocacy, Inc. Jessica Cassidy Texas Advocacy Project Helena Coronado-Salazar Equal Justice Center, Inc. Abigail Frank Texas Civil Rights Project Patricia Freshwater Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc. Jennifer Landau Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, Inc. Corinna Spencer-Scheurich Texas Civil Rights Project Amber VanSchuyver Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc. Jacob Wedemeyer Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc. Colleen Wisdom Advocacy, Inc. The Westchester County Bar Foundation, Inc. Karen Tenenbaum Legal Services of the Hudson Valley Anonymous Monica Ashiku South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project Cary Brege Legal Aid of North Carolina Aparna Garg Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund Allison Guttu National Advocates for Pregnant Women Danny Kirchoff Transgender Law Center Sarah Leberstein National Employment Law Project Tana Liu-Beers North Carolina Justice Center Tiffany Mercado New Mexico Legal Aid Vivek Mittal National Immigration Law Center Gregory Legare Pleasants Mental Health Advocacy Services, Inc. Andrew Sta. Ana Sanctuary for Families Phoebe Taubman A Better Balance
2009 ANNUAL REPORT | 11
Corporation for National and Community Service In addition to private and foundation sponsors, Equal Justice Works partners with AmeriCorps to make a lasting impact on communities by facilitating pro bono opportunities and expanding the legal resources in low-income and underserved communities. The Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows working in the field in 2009 included: Legal Aid and Defender Association Gregory Abler Ann Horowitz Cook Tammy Howze Mary Novrocki Legal Aid of Western Ohio Anneliese Gryta Julia Martin Legal Aid Society of Columbus Emily Smith Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati Jeffrey Schoenberger Congressman John Sarbanes with AmeriCorps Legal Fellow Laurie Izutsu-Keener at the 2009 Awards Dinner.
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee Nicolas Toman Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia Jennifer Ngai
Access to Justice Carrie Henrichsen Joshua Houy Leroy LaPlante, Jr. Daniel Leon Advocates for Basic Legal Equality Andrew Neuhauser Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky Benjamin Long Asian Pacific American Legal Center Lulu Amador Susanna Kim Esther Ro Theresa Tran Florence Yu Atlanta Legal Aid Society Anna-Elisa Mackowiak Central American Resource Center Emily Allenbach Claudia Cubas Community Legal Aid Services Carla Bulford Community Legal Services Kasetta Coleman Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program Deyanira Silva
Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago Frank Hill Legal Assistance of Western New York Alissa Baader Tahira Bland John Busby Bethany Hamilton Katherine Higgins Jill Spayer Nathan Treadwell Lone Star Legal Aid Elizabeth Lockett Louisiana Bar Foundation Caroline Johnson Anthony Sartorio Debra Weinberg Medical Legal Partnership Sam Senft
“There is no shortage of clients; no shortage of people facing unemployment, medical issues or other financial struggles; no shortage of mortgages that are unaffordable; no shortage of scammers willing to take advantage of those desperate to save their homes.� AmeriCorps Legal Fellow Leigh Ferrin Public Law Center, Santa Ana, CA
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Mississippi Center for Justice Whitney Barkley Margaret Enfinger Shalanda Hudson Chanda Roby Seth Shannon Carole Tingle Leigh Ann Tingle Montana Legal Services Association Lori Gradwell Joseph Hardgrave Elizabeth Hayes Tonya Herring Northwest Justice Project Rory O’Sullivan Pro Seniors Rosemary Scollard Public Counsel Banafsheh Amirzadeh Christian Canas Marisol Haro Christine Khalili-Borna Gregory Smith Stacy Zimmerman Public Interest Clearinghouse Salena Copeland Julie Mercer Ingram Phyra McCandless Doan Nguyen Ariadna Renteria-Torres Chio Saephanh
Public Law Center Rebeca Canales Leigh Ferrin Vanessa Leonardo Munmeeth Soni South Brooklyn Legal Services Laurie Izutsu-Keener Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Amanda Furst Amanda Golob Three Rivers Legal Services Patricia Antonucci Deanna Coates Summer Griggs Jorge Tormes U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Maureen Contreni Stacy Jones University of Miami School of Law/ Miami-Dade Public Defender Sarah Borak Volunteer Legal Services Program Allison Anderman Sarah Hoskinson
Summer Corps In addition to the postgraduate legal fellowships, another partnership between Equal Justice Works and AmeriCorps is Summer Corps. In 2009 we engaged 373 law students at nonprofit legal aid organizations where they spent a summer serving underrepresented individuals, communities and causes.
“This summer was one of the best I have ever had. I had the opportunity to do my dream job – be a public defender.” Summer Corps member Audrey Woosnam Alaska Public Defenders, Ketchikan, AK
Summer Corps Members and Staff at the 2009 Equal Justice Works in New York Reception at Pfizer Inc.
2009 ANNUAL REPORT | 13
Institutional Supporters Equal Justice Works acknowledges the generosity of the following institutions that made contributions at $2,500 or more during the period July 1, 2008, through December 31, 2009. $1,000,000 and above Corporation for National & Community Service
$500,000 - $999,999 Greenberg Traurig Fellowship Foundation
Open Society Institute
$250,000 - $499,999
“The true heroes are the folks who are out there every single day improving the lives of people who are underrepresented. These are people who have grasped the nugget that is at the heart of our democracy. The notion that the rule of law has to really mean something and that it can only have meaning if it is accessible to everyone in the society as a matter of right, not as a matter of privilege.” Bruce Sewell, Former Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Intel Corporation
The Ford Foundation Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation
Texas Access to Justice Foundation
$100,000 - $249,999 Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Bingham McCutchen LLP DLA Piper Fannie Mae The Florida Bar Foundation
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Latham & Watkins LLP The Morrison & Foerster Foundation Pfizer Inc Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
$50,000 - $99,999 AIG ALM Arnold & Porter Foundation Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP Fidelity Investments Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Hewlett-Packard Company Jenner & Block LLP Kaye Scholer LLP KPMG LLP
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP McDermott Will & Emery Microsoft Corporation Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Steptoe & Johnson LLP Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Bruce J. Ennis Foundation Fenwick & West LLP The Florida Bar Ford & Harrison LLP Gilbert LLP Howrey LLP Intel Corporation Johnson & Johnson Kilpatrick Stockton LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP Mayer Brown LLP Morgan Miller Blair O’Melveny & Myers LLP
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Foundation Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, LLP Reed Smith LLP Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP The Walt Disney Company Williams & Connolly LLP
$25,000 - $49,999 Baker & McKenzie Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP Bill Brockett Public Interest Fellowship Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP The Chicago Bar Foundation CIGNA Foundation Cobb Cole Contra Costa County Bar Association Crowell & Moring Foundation Crowell & Moring LLP Danaher Corporation Duff & Phelps, LLC
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$10,000 - $24,999 Apple Inc. Association of Corporate Counsel Blakely Sofoloff Taylor & Zafman LLP CIGNA Corporation Cisco Systems Inc. The Clorox Company Covington & Burling LLP Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, L.L.P. Deutsche Bank Americas Dickstein Shapiro LLP Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP The Feinberg Group, LLP Fish & Richardson P. C. FJC, A Foundation of Donor Advised Funds Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
General Electric Company General Mills, Inc. HIRECounsel Holland & Knight LLP Ivins, Phillips & Barker Jackson Lewis LLP Jones Day Keker & Van Nest LLP Leonard, Street and Deinard Linklaters Merck & Co., Inc. Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP Navigant Consulting, Inc. Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP PEPCO Sara Lee Corporation
Schering-Plough Corporation Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. Sidley Austin LLP The Sidley Foundation The Sturdevant Law Firm Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP WilmerHale Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker LLP Winston & Strawn LLP Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC
Kenesis Corporate and Information Consulting, LLC Levick Strategic Communications McCarter & English, LLP Mehri & Skalet, PLLC Mitratech Holdings, Inc. Oracle Corporation Patton Boggs LLP Perkins Coie LLP Public Welfare Foundation
Ropes & Gray LLP Saul Ewing LLP Spencer Stuart Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP Troutman Sanders LLP UPS White & Case LLP Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
FTI Consulting, Inc. Hogan & Hartson LLP Hunton & Williams LLP Kraft Foods Inc. Littler Mendelson, P. C. Milberg LLP
RK Auto Socha, Perczak, Setter & Anderson, P. C. Squire Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. Susman Godfrey LLP Tucker Ellis & West
$5,000 - $9,999 Beveridge & Diamond, P. C. Citigroup Inc. Clifford Chance US LLP Cooley Godward Kronish LLP Cozen O’Connor Davis Wright Tremaine LLP Edison International Goldman, Sachs & Co. Hill and Knowlton, Inc. Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore LLC
$2,500 - $4,999 Arent Fox PLLC Baxter International, Inc. Blank Rome LLP The Coca-Cola Company Community Foundation for the National Capital Region
Cy Pres Awards We are grateful to the following individuals and firms that recommended cy pres awards to Equal Justice Works to support our work in public interest law. Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP Fine, Kaplan and Black, R.P.C. Kaplan Fox & Kilscheimer
Meredith Cohen Greenfogel & Skirnick, P.C. Patrick Morris, Morris and Morris LLC
2009 ANNUAL REPORT | 15
Individual Supporters
Equal Justice Works acknowledges the generosity of the following individuals who made contributions of $500 or more during the period July 1, 2008, through December 31, 2009.
$250,000 and above Anonymous
$25,000 - $99,999 Marc Gary The Honorable Sven Erik Holmes Kim Koopersmith
The Sher Family Foundation Friends and Family of Phillip M. Stern Helen B. Stern
Allen P. Waxman Beth A. Wilkinson & David Gregory
John P. “Sean” & Anne Coffey Pamela B. Gilbert & Charles R.E. Lewis III James L. & Eleanor D. Henderson III Irene McPhail
Carol Ann Petren Donn P. Pickett Laura Stein David Stern & Tracey Hughes Mark & Rebekah Wasserman
Katherine Borsecnik & Gene Weil Eldon H. “Took” Crowell
Rachel Kronowitz & Mark Lewis James C. Sturdevant
Susan J. Hackett & Richard E. Hagerty Robert Helm Elizabeth Ann Keeley Martha & Robert Kline Greg Landis & Ann LoGerfo
Allen and Linda Saeks Family Foundation Marc M. Seltzer Henry & Paula Stern
$10,000 - $24,999 Anonymous Mary Rose Alexander & Timothy J. Gilfoyle Cesar L. Alvarez David M. Brodsky Family of Hyman Edelman Francis B. Burch Jr.
$5,000 - $9,999 Robert L. Adler Judith Areen Peter M. & Lucy Ascoli
$2,500 - $4,999 Martha Bergmark & Elliott Andalman Michael G. & Linda S. Caudell-Feagan Benjamin G. Edelman Daniel B. & Toby S. Edelman David & Resa Eppler
Annual Awards Dinner The Equal Justice Works Awards Dinner is one of the nation’s largest gatherings of public interest law supporters and recognizes those who have made extraordinary contributions to achieving equal justice on behalf of underserved communities and causes.
Equal Justice Works Executive Director David Stern with 2009 Awards Dinner Honorees: Scales of Justice winner Bruce Sewell, John R. Kramer Oustanding Law School Dean Award winner Larry Kramer and Exemplary Public Service Award for a Law School Student winner Scott Burrill.
1 6 | EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS
$1,000 - $2,499 David R. & Rozan M. Andrews Ram贸n P. Arias Eugene Assaf Blue Tang Enterprises John Boland & James Carroll Donald A. & Ann W. Brown Cait Clarke Mr. & Mrs. F. David Clarke Keith S. & Elizabeth Parker Crow Peter B. & Marian Wright Edelman Kevin Evanich Marcia Feola Brian E. & Marcy Frosh Michael Goldman Barry Goldstein Jamie S. Gorelick & Richard E. Waldhorn Thomas A. Gottschalk
Jeff Graddy Henry Gutman Caitlin Halligan Thomas J. Heiden Benjamin W. Heineman Jr. Eric H. Holder Jr. Paul & Louann Igasaki Michael D. Jones Deborah R. Jospin Barry Kaufman Anastasia D. Kelly Tom Kornbluh Karen Lash Daryl A. Libow Sacha Lindekens Abbe David Lowell James M. & Virginia W. Newmyer
Lawrence S. Ottinger & Cinthia H. Schuman Stephen & Ruth Pollak William H. Pratt Steve Rumery Catherine Samuels Dena Sher Emily J. Spitzer Thomas A. Troyer Mark Tushnet The Honorable Patricia M. Wald & Robert L. Wald Scott Wallace Jeff Westerman The Honorable Ann Claire Williams Jeffrey D. & Mary M. Zients Andrew T. Zovko
R. Michael Gibeault Amos Hartston Sandra Kramer Deborah Lewis Jeff Liebmann Marjorie Lindblom Daniel K. Mayers Alan Morrison Jack H. Olender Joseph & Margot Onek The Honorable Deval L. Patrick
Toni Rembe Michael A. Rothenberg Daniel A. Sasse Leonard B. Simon & Candace M. Carroll James Stinson The Honorable David S. Tatel Bonnie Thomson The Honorable Jon S. Tigar & Caroline Avery Susan P. Willens Mark & Alicia Wittink
$500 - $999 M. Bernard Aidinoff Donald Baer Michelle A. Banks Jacqueline Becker Robert Brandon Janell Byrd-Chichester David Cole Craig Corbitt Sanford Dumain David Elson Diane Fuchs & Ron Simon
Equal Justice Works is grateful for every gift and fortunate to have a broad base of institutional and individual supporters who are too numerous to list in the space available. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our donor lists. Please bring any omissions or errors to our attention.
National Justice Partners National Justice Partners is a valuable network of donors that support Equal Justice Works events with a generous gift of at least $50,000 annually.
2009 ANNUAL REPORT | 17
Board of Directors Allen P. Waxman, Chair Kaye Scholer LLP Marc Gary, Vice Chair Fidelity Investments Carol Ann Petren, Secretary CIGNA Corporation Cesar L. Alvarez, Treasurer Greenberg Traurig, LLP Sabrina Andrus Seattle University Law School ‘08 Ramón P. Arias Bay Area Legal Aid Martha Bergmark Mississippi Center for Justice Francis B. Burch, Jr. DLA Piper LLP Kathleen Clyde The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law ‘08 Pamela B. Gilbert, Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP Amos E. Hartston Latham & Watkins LLP The Honorable Sven Erik Holmes KPMG LLP Anastasia D. Kelly Kim Koopersmith Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Larry D. Kramer Stanford Law School Rachel Kronowitz Gilbert LLP David F. Levi Duke University School of Law Judith L. Lichtman National Partnership for Women and Families Tim McNutt California Western School of Law ‘09 Meagan Mirtenbaum University of North Carolina School of Law ‘11 Donn P. Pickett Bingham McCutchen LLP Laura Stein The Clorox Company James C. Sturdevant The Sturdevant Law Firm Jessica Sutton Boston University School of Law ‘09 The Honorable David S. Tatel Stacy Tolos Emory School of Law ‘10 Mark D. Wasserman Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP Beth A. Wilkinson Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP The Honorable Ann Claire Williams U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
National Advisory Committee Malissa Barnwell-Scott University of Southern California Law School Laurie Barron Roger Williams University School of Law Annie Goldman Tulane University School of Law Taylor Healy Villanova University School of Law Aliza Kaplan Brooklyn Law School Marni B. Lennon University of Miami School of Law Tim McNutt California Western School of Law Caroline Richardson Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis Leslie Ross Phoenix School of Law Ezra Rosser American University, Washington College of Law Cybele Smith The Ohio State University Mortiz College of Law Karthik Subramanian University of Alabama School of Law Chloe Walker University of Houston Law Center Daniel Zeno University of Iowa College of Law
We believe that the poorest and most vulnerable among us deserve the same access to justice and quality legal representation as more fortunate citizens. We offer a continuum of opportunity to law students and lawyers – we’re helping lawyers help community.
2120 L Street, NW, Suite 450 Washington, DC 20037-1541 Phone 202.466.3686 www.equaljusticeworks.org
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