Greenberg Traurig Sponsors Record 201st Equal Justice Works Fellow
Greenberg Traurig's milestone sponsorship solidifies its position as the most significant EJW sponsor in the organization's history. The firm has donated more than $14.5 million to sponsor EJW fellows since 1999.
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Equal Justice Works (EJW), the nation's largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, today recognized global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP for sponsoring more than 200 EJW fellows since 1999, when the firm began supporting EJW.
"By sponsoring a record number of fellows, Greenberg Traurig has transformed the legal landscape, ignited the careers of scores of passionate public service leaders, and helped to fulfill our nation's promise of equal justice for all," EJW CEO Verna Williams said.
Greenberg Traurig is the largest sponsor of EJW fellows. With its 2023 fellowship class of 12, Greenberg Traurig will sponsor its 200th and 201st fellow. Through its Holly Skolnick Fellowship Foundation, the firm has contributed more than $14.5 million to the Design-Your-Own Fellowship program. These fellows have provided more than 680,000 attorney hours on behalf of underrepresented populations in more than 50 cities and over 120 legal services organizations across the country.
"Philanthropy and making an impact in our communities are central components of Greenberg Traurig's mission. Our attorneys dedicate tens of thousands of hours of pro bono time each year, but we simply cannot be everywhere and help everyone all at once," Greenberg Traurig Co-President and EJW Board Member Ernest LaMont Greer said. "Our Equal Justice Works fellows, many of whom have been co-sponsored with valued clients or community organizations over the years, expand our firm's platform and ability to make an impact well-beyond our own footprint."
The firm's 2023 EJW fellows are part of the firm's $5 million commitment over five years to support programs that address the causes and effects of systemic racism and seek to provide impoverished communities and individuals with economic and social rights.
"Greenberg Traurig's Equal Justice Works fellows are critical partners to Greenberg Traurig's pro bono program. In selecting fellows, Greenberg Traurig looks for passionate lawyers dedicated to fighting for racial, social, and economic justice throughout the country, with whom we can partner on pro bono projects. We are thrilled to have sponsored 201 fellows since 1999 and look forward to continuing this important work for years to come," Greenberg Traurig Litigation Shareholder and Global Pro Bono Program Chair Caroline J. Heller said.
The fellows serve for two years and the 2023 project issues range from criminal justice reform to immigration to racial justice and more. Greenberg Traurig's 2023 fellows are:
- Isabel Dufford, Colorado Legal Services
- Aru Gonzalez, Public Counsel
- Elissa Gray, Family Violence Appellate Project; co-sponsored by The Clorox Company Foundation
- Katie Martinez, School Justice Project; co-sponsored by Steptoe & Johnson LLP
- Justin McCarroll, Georgia Resource Center
- Meghan McLeroy, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice; co-sponsored by Southern Company
- Mary Merkel, The Bronx Defenders
- Heather Odell, Catholic Charities Legal Services, Archdiocese of Miami, Inc.
- Samantha Pfaff-Goldstein, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project; co-sponsored by Western Union
- Lia Raves, Illinois Prison Project; co-sponsored by Discover Financial Services
- Chris Rogers, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid; co-sponsored by Texas Access to Justice Foundation
- Zoe Siepert, Georgia Legal Services Program; co-sponsored by UPS
EJW Fellowship programs are designed to effect change in communities and throughout the country by mobilizing lawyers and advocates to work on behalf of vulnerable populations in need of free legal services, as well as through the opportunity for a fellow to work with a legal services organization to design and implement an innovative project in response to a specific or emerging need. The programs are funded by law firms, corporations, foundations, individual supporters, and government entities, with an average of 85% of participants remaining in public service positions following their fellowships.
"Throughout my fellowship, Greenberg Traurig was incredibly helpful and supportive," 2016 Fellow Samantha S. Greer said. "In the five years since, the firm has remained invested in my legal career, staying up to date on the work I am doing and helping to amplify the voices of the population I serve. I can say that my legal career would not be what it is today without the support of Greenberg Traurig." Greer is now an assistant clinical professor and director at the Robert W. Entenmann Veterans Law Clinic at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.
For more information about the EJW fellows sponsored by Greenberg Traurig, visit here.
About Equal Justice Works
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, advocates, legal services organizations, and supporters to build a community committed to fulfilling our nation's promise of equal justice for all.
About Greenberg Traurig
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2650 attorneys in 45 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI "Highly Recommended Law Firm" for superior client service and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 250. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e® Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPA's Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com.
Media Contact
Jacob Fischler, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, +1 202.533.2373, [email protected]
SOURCE Greenberg Traurig, LLP
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