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Illinois for Equal Justice

Equal Justice America launched its Illinois for Equal Justice campaign to increase legal services to people in need by creating additional Law Student Fellowships in the state, putting more law students to work with Illinois legal aid organizations.

Funding for EJA Fellowships for Northern Illinois University School of Law students derive from our Illinois for Equal Justice campaign. (To be eligible for an EJA Fellowship, students from these schools must find placements with legal aid organizations in Illinois.)

The following law students have received Equal Justice America Fellowships since our launch of Illinois for Equal Justice. Your support will help us expand our program to put more law students to work in Illinois on behalf of people in need.

EJA to Award Veterans’ Rights Fellowship in Chicago!

We are excited to announce that Equal Justice America will sponsor a two-year $130,000 Veterans' Rights Fellowship at Legal Aid Chicago, beginning in September 2020.
Our veterans have put their lives on the line for us. We need to make sure their needs are met when they come home.

We Need Your Help!

(Equal Justice America is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation unaffiliated with any law school.)
Please click the links below to read more about the students’ EJA Fellowships.

This summer has reaffirmed my commitment to public interest work, and especially immigration law. It’s fulfilling to be able to choose a career where I can meet people from all walks of life and work with others who share my values and vision of changing our society for the better.
Allison O'Connor
University Of Chicago Law School
EJA Summer Fellow, 2023
  • Summer 2023
    • Ricardo Alvarez (Chicago-Kent) worked at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in Chicago.
    • Mara Blumenstein (NYU) worked at the MacArthur Justice Center in Chicago.
    • Rachel Caldwell (University of Chicago), Sashary Rosado (Harvard), Martha Rubin (Brooklyn), Nneka Ugwu (Loyola University Chicago) and Nathaniel Weaver (Loyola University Chicago) worked at Equip for Equality in Chicago.
    • Jacob Cantor (Boston University) worked at the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.
    • Alejandra Carrillo (University of Chicago), David Clifton (University of Chicago) and Liam Haffey (University of Chicago) worked at Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinics at the University of Chicago Law School.
    • Alayna Connolly (University of Wisconsin), Margaret De La Cruz (DePaul), Sebastian Esparza (University of Illinois), Jake Gnolfo (Loyola University Chicago), Mimi Goldberg (Cornell), Rita Hirami (University of Wisconsin), Julia Linares (University of Chicago), Abigail Magat (Loyola University Chicago), Matt Maxson (Loyola University Chicago), Allison Morcus (Notre Dame), Audrey Park (Chicago-Kent) and Emma Soglin (DePaul) worked at Legal Aid Chicago.
    • Tricia Crabtree (Chicago-Kent) worked at Cabrini Green Legal Aid in Chicago.
    • Elizabeth Lewis (University of Michigan) worked at the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services in Chicago.
    • Maggie Miltko (Loyola University Chicago) worked at the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic.
    • Allison O'Connor (University of Chicago) worked at Ascend Justice in Chicago.
    • Nicholas Valdivia (Chicago-Kent) worked at the Children's Legal Center in Chicago.
  • Summer 2022
    • Rachel Abrams (University of Chicago) worked at the Jenner and Block Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic in Chicago.
    • Zainab Bhindarwala (University of Michigan), Leah Carter (DePaul), Millicent Cripe (University of Chicago), Sylvie Durlacher (Chicago-Kent), Justin Holiman (University of Chicago), Annie Keller (Loyola University Chicago), Sarah Pitre (DePaul), Ursula Poole (University of Chicago), Leah Starbuck Schuckit (NYU), James Stehlin (University of Michigan), Grace Summers (Harvard) and Madison Xilas (Loyola University Chicago) worked at Legal Aid Chicago.
    • Fionna Ek (University of Minnesota) worked at Land of Lincoln Legal Aid in Champaign.
    • Eliana Fleischer (University of Chicago) worked at the MacArthur Justice Center in Chicago.
    • Hannah George (University of Chicago) worked at the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic in Chicago.
    • Priyam Madhukar (University of Texas) worked at the ACLU of Illinois in Chicago.
    • Damia Marshall (Chicago-Kent) and Gabrielle Seiwert (University of Chicago) worked at Ascend Justice in Chicago.
    • Allison Morcus (Notre Dame) worked at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in Chicago.
    • Dwayne Morgan (Loyola University Chicago) worked at Equip for Equality in Chicago.
    • Rabiyah Mujahid (Loyola University Chicago) and Jay-Donavin Ved (Loyola University Chicago) worked at the Health Justice Clinic at Loyola University Chicago.
    • Lydia Parks (Loyola University Chicago) worked at the Illinois Prison Project in Chicago.
    • Tamara Perez Cantalapiedra (Boston College) worked at the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago.
    • Nida Shah (Loyola University Chicago) worked at Children's Legal Center Chicago.
    • Gabrielle Struik (University of Wisconsin) worked at the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic.
    • Jessica Wang (Georgetown University) worked at the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services in Chicago.
    • Grace Zimmerman (Loyola University Chicago) worked at the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation.
  • Summer 2020
    • Diana Arroyo (Loyola Chicago), Joseph Garcia (DePaul), Olivia Kappers (DePaul), Charles Koepp (Columbia University), Robert Neel (Washington University), Rachel Pollak (University of Illinois), Fernanda Herrera Spieler (Loyola Chicago) and Martin Stainthorp (Chicago-Kent) worked at Legal Aid Chicago (LAC).
    • Thomas Edwards (Loyola Chicago) and Matthew Lustbader (University of Michigan) worked at the Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing in Chicago.
    • Maya Flores (DePaul) worked at Beyond Legal Aid in Chicago.
    • Sydney Goggins (University of Minnesota) worked at the Center for Disability and Elder Law in Chicago.
    • Irene Jeon (University of Chicago) worked in the Housing Initiative Transactional Clinic at the University of Chicago.
    • Alana Jones (John Marshall) worked at the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.
    • Avery Katz (University of Minnesota) worked at the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services.
    • Vatsala Kumar (University of Chicago) worked in the Civil Rights: Police Accountability Project at the University of Chicago.
    • Elise LeCrone (University of Chicago) worked at the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation.
    • Gwendolyn Lemley (University of Chicago) worked in the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Chicago.
    • Rachel Murphy (University of Chicago) worked in the Employment Law Clinic at the University of Chicago.
    • Alexandra O'Hehir (John Marshall) worked at the Chicago Legal Clinic.
    • Emily Percifield (Loyola Chicago) worked at Ascend Justice in Chicago.
    • Fernando Silva (Chicago-Kent) worked at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in Chicago.
    • Erik Zimmerman (University of Chicago) worked in The Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Chicago.
My work this summer has motivated me to continue supporting survivors of domestic violence through volunteer work throughout the school year and beyond. The impact of abuse, especially on mothers, is far-reaching. I am amazed by the work of Legal Aid Chicago and other service providers in the Chicago area, as I have seen the wonderful impact they can have on survivors of domestic violence and I am grateful to Equal Justice America for supporting my work this summer and helping me to begin using my legal degree for good.
Casey Jedele
University of Chicago
EJA Summer Fellow, 2019
  • Summer 2018
    • Antoinette Bolz (John Marshall) worked at the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
    • Beth Daviess (University of Chicago) worked at the ACLU of Illinois/Roger Baldwin Foundation, Chicago.
    • Salomon De Los Angeles (DePaul), Jaclyn Ellwein (Loyola Chicago), Haleigh Haffner (Loyola Chicago), Amanda Insalaco (DePaul), Colin Nardone (University of Illinois), Anna Porter (University of Chicago), Reed Showalter (Columbia), Jackson Wimberly (University of Chicago) and Nicole Young (Chicago-Kent) worked at the Legal Assistance Foundation (LAF).
    • Tom Dwyer (Notre Dame) worked at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.
    • Felipe Gonzalez (DePaul) worked at Metropolitan Family Services.
    • Carly Helman (Loyola Chicago) worked at Equip for Equality.
    • Victor Lopez (Columbia) and Beth Macnab (University of Chicago) worked at Lambda Legal.
    • Emma Melton (DePaul) worked at Community Activism Law Alliance, Chicago.
    • David Raban (University of Chicago) and Arielle Yoon (University of Chicago) worked at Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinic of the University of Chicago Law School.