Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, today named its 2023 class of Equal Justice Works Fellows. Kutak Rock and U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance partnered to sponsor Ishvaku Vashishtha as a two-year fellow with the Inner City Law Center in Los Angeles, California.
Each of the 76 law school graduates, in collaboration with a legal services organization, has designed a two-year Equal Justice Works Fellowship project to address the unmet legal needs of the community they will serve.
“It is a joy and privilege to welcome these passionate public service leaders who share our vision of equal access to justice for all,” said Verna Williams, Equal Justice Works CEO. “With access to legal aid out of reach for too many and longstanding legal protections continuing to remain in jeopardy, the work of these talented new lawyers—destined to make an impact in countless communities and our justice system—is more important than ever.”
Each year, Equal Justice Works selects a class of public interest lawyers who have designed unique projects in partnership with legal services organizations. These projects are funded by law firms, corporations, foundations, and individual supporters.
Selected from 318 applications, the 2023 class of Equal Justice Works Fellows includes graduates from 41 law schools who will work at 70 legal services organizations across 23 states and Washington, D.C. Among this year’s 70 sponsors are 25 leading law firms recognized in the Am Law 200 and 21 Fortune 500 corporations.
“Equal Justice Works provides a platform for young lawyers to make significant changes in our communities and I look forward to watching Ishvaku Vashishtha’s proposal come to life and help so many people in need,” said Kutak Rock Chair John Petr. “This focus complements Kutak Rock and U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance’s commitment to engaging with and making a positive difference for our clients, our communities, and our people.”
Equal Justice Works Fellowship programs are designed to effect change in communities and throughout our country by mobilizing Fellows to work on key issue areas such as disaster resilience; safe, fair, and affordable housing; and crime victims’ rights, as well as by expanding the ability of legal services organizations to design and implement unique projects responding to emerging needs. 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.